Reach Out to the Truth
by thearendork
Summary: Who is Elsa underneath the labels of queen, sister, and wielder of powerful ice magic. And what will she do if she faced someone who she truly feared—that is, who she may have become had she let fear rule her?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Frozen is the property of Disney. I do not own anything except the original characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

**Chapter One:** Beginnings

_July 16th, midnight_

_As dresses go, this one—the one I made after I ran off to the North Mountain—is pretty, if I do say so myself. Hardly practical for bed though,_ Elsa mused, undoing her braid and putting on her nightgown. Lifting the winter she had accidentally caused and the emotional turmoil she had gone through in the past two and a half days had left her tired to the bone. Warm cotton replaced the icy silk against her skin. She crawled under the covers with a sigh and felt exhaustion seep from her body as she sank on the mattress.

It was a long day.

She was already drifting to sleep curled up on her side facing the door of her room when a soft knock on the door brought her back to full consciousness. Elsa groaned and screwed her eyes shut tighter. "Elsa?" a muffled voice asked from behind the door.

It was Anna.

She heard the door creak open when her younger sister let herself in. Soft footsteps followed, stopping by her bed. Elsa cracked an eye open to see Anna standing at the side of the bed with a sheepish grin.

"Do you know what time it is, Anna?" Elsa grumbled, burrowing under the covers to hide her smile. She didn't know why she was happy at having her sleep interrupted, but it might have been because she was glad Anna was there with her.

"Midnight. It's a new day!" Elsa lifted the covers from her head to see Anna still grinning at her, but was also wringing her hands nervously. "But actually—um...do you mind if I sleep here? Just for tonight, I promise! I mean...it's been so long and I—"

"Sure. The bed is big enough," Elsa cut in, ending Anna's rambling. If she let Anna continue, her sister would go on and on—though on the other hand, the rambling might lull her to sleep, she thought, pushing the blanket aside and moving over to make room. She frowned and remembered the last time she had allowed Anna to sleep beside her (she had been seven, Anna had been four). "You've outgrown kicking around in bed, right?" Elsa asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow as she stifled a yawn.

"You'll just have to find out." Anna smirked widely and flopped on the bed, twisting on her side to face her older sister on the bed. Elsa rolled her eyes affectionately and turned around to face Anna as well. Now fully awake, Elsa studied Anna's features, realizing how much time she had lost out on as she noted how much her younger sister had changed over the years. Elsa's scrutiny made Anna's smirk shrink into a small, uncertain smile. "I've missed this so much."

"Me too."

Anna pursed her lips thoughtfully. "So."

"Hmm?"

Anna shook her head, sighing. "We need to practice this sister thing more often," she said, flopping on her back. "What I had in mind when I came here was talking non-stop until the sun rose. Now I can't think of a thing to say." She grimaced. "Sorry. I didn't mean to complain—"

Elsa disagreed, shaking her head as well. "I understand. And I'm very glad you came." A moment of hesitation born from years of habit and isolation passed, and Elsa found the courage to squeeze Anna's hand from under the covers. Anna squeezed back.

_I think it's time for me to reach out instead._ "Your streak's gone," Elsa remarked, stretching out her other hand to trace where it was before.

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

Elsa bit her lip, searching for the right words to say. She feared Anna's reaction—anxiety fluttered against her chest, and the ice started creeping toward her fingertips. She willed it back and took a deep breath to calm herself. _Stop it. Fear got you in trouble in the first place, remember?_ "Do you know where you got it?" she asked.

"I was born with it, right? But I liked thinking I was kissed by a troll," Anna joked. Elsa's jaw tightened, wondering what her sister would say once the truth was out. "That's definitely not how I got it, right? Anna asked, focusing on the slight frown that wrinkled Elsa's brow.

"No," Elsa responded, pushing herself up into a sitting position. Anna followed suit and raised a curious eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

Elsa folded her hands over her lap and took a deep breath to gather her courage. _I might was well get it over with,_ she thought. "You got it on a night like this," she began, fiddling with the hem of her blanket nervously. "I will never forget that night—September 19, 1827. You were five years old, I was eight. Autumn was starting to make way for winter...the nights were starting to get cold."

She laughed through her nose. "You were such a pest," she recalled fondly with a tinge of sadness. "You kept bugging me with 'do you wanna build a snowman?" You knew I had powers back then."

Anna's eyes were wide as saucers with disbelief. "I did? But how come...?"

"I'll get to that. Anyway, you were such a ball of energy, even the night can't keep you down. I always gave in when you wanted to play, thinking I'd be able to get you exhausted enough so I can get some sleep myself," Elsa continued, her gaze far away as she sifted through her memories. "I should have known better, though. I ended up having much more fun than I thought I would, so going to the throne room in the middle of the night to play in the snow became a habit for us." Elsa paused and glanced at Anna, who was uncharacteristically silent and patient. Anna raised her eyebrows, urging her older sister to continue.

"That night started out like all others. You woke me up, we raced down the stairs to the throne room, and we played in the snow I created. I also made Olaf that night."

"Wait, so even then you could create living snowmen?"

"Huh? Oh, no—I mean, it wasn't our Olaf, but it looked like him. I remember hiding behind that snowman, making the hands move, and you laughed. It didn't take much to make you laugh."

"Still doesn't."

"Ha, yes." Elsa chuckled and paused, knowing she was about to come to the painful part of her story. "But then, you started jumping on the piles of snow I created. You were going too fast, and I accidentally struck your head with my magic. That's why you had a streak in your hair."

"But how come I can't remember?" Anna asked, still in disbelief. Judging from her expression, Elsa guessed Anna was having a hard time reconciling her memories with what she just told her. "I remember the tickle bumps, and skating in the lake—"

"Grand Pabbie placed those memories in your head," Elsa cut in. "The tickle bumps, the skating—all of those happened in the throne room."

"Why did they do that? Why mess with my memories?" Anna asked, distraught. Elsa bit her lip and shook her head.

"At the time, it was thought to have been the best course of action to take to keep you safe from me."

"But it was an accident, and you were just a kid!" Anna protested vehemently.

"Even so." Elsa breathed in shakily. "I'm so sorry for hurting you, Anna. Then and up at the North Mountain."

"Oh, Elsa." Anna moved closer to her sister and hugged her tightly. Elsa stiffened at the unfamiliar sensation of Anna's warmth. "I wish you would stop beating yourself over that. I know it's going to take time—a long time, probably—but promise me that you'll forgive yourself eventually. I can't stand seeing you so sad."

Elsa nodded jerkily against Anna's shoulder. "I'll try," she mumbled, disentangling herself from her sister's hold and cleared her throat.

"So what happened next?" Anna prompted.

"Papa and Mama found us and took us to the trolls. Besides replacing your memories, Grand Pabbie was able to heal your head. When we got back to the castle, Papa ordered letting go of most of the staff, limited my contact with people, and hid my powers from everyone, especially you. I also started wearing gloves, because Papa said those would help. And they did, I guess."

"Oh, Papa," Anna sighed, disappointment coloring her voice. Both sisters fell silent, lost in thought. "So that's why you started wearing gloves. All this time I thought you had a thing against dirt," the younger one joked, breaking the heavy silence. Elsa picked up on Anna's attempt to lighten the mood and smirked.

"I admit that I'm a neat freak, but I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty. I mean, remember the time we made mud pies out of actual mud?"

"Yeah! The pie I made was pretty awesome, right?"

"I had to stop you from eating it, though," Elsa pointed out wryly, raising an eyebrow.

"Give me a break. I was only four!" Anna huffed, making Elsa laugh at her pouting face. She looks so much like a four-year-old, she thought before sobering to continue with her story. Anna listened to every word.

"The day before my coronation, I visited Mama and Papa's graves. I told them I was angry at them for doing this to me—to us. I know they thought was they did was for the best. Still, I can't help but wonder what could have been if they hadn't done what they did." Elsa stole a glance at Anna and racked her brain for the right words to say how she had felt—still felt, actually—about her circumstance. "I've always wondered, why me? What did I ever do to deserve this, to be cursed with this?" She opened her palm to let a little puff of frost to escape before closing it into a fist. "It's not fair."

Elsa fell silent, letting Anna absorb everything she said. She watched her sister's face carefully for any reactions and saw how Anna's face slowly changed from serious to slightly mischievous. "What are you thinking?" she asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

Anna jumped out of bed and spun around to face Elsa. "You know, you're right, it's not fair what happened to you," she agreed. "But tonight...well, okay, first off, you're not cursed. Second, I've got a great idea." She grinned widely and impishly, planting her hands on her hips. Elsa blinked—for a second, thirteen years melted away and left a little pigtailed girl in place. She shook her head to clear it and bring herself back to the present.

"Okay...what is it?" she asked cautiously. Elsa knew Anna had something up her sleeve when she got that slightly manic look on her face. "What are you thinking?" she asked with wary curiosity.

"Do you want to build a snowman?"

That startled a laugh out of Elsa. "What?"

"Do you want to build a snowman?" Anna repeated, looking at Elsa expectantly. Understanding dawned in Elsa's eyes.

"Sure, why not. Let's go!"

Giggling and scrambling out of bed, the sisters raced to the ballroom like they used to before.

_I can't undo the last thirteen years,_ Elsa reflected as Anna's laughter echoed in the throne room, _but this night is a new beginning for me._

_For us._

* * *

_July 30th, midnight_

The moonlight streamed through an open window, which also allowed the sound of crickets chirping and other night sounds to fill the room. The room itself was generously furnished—the walnut bed was fit for a prince, with heavy velvet drapes. On the side of the room was matching walnut furniture: a large desk supplied with writing materials such as reams of paper and bottles of ink, a bookshelf crammed with novels and political treatises, and a handsome cabinet. A small, cheerful fire blazed in the fireplace to keep the room warm, and an overstuffed sofa sat against a wall.

But for Hans, a prince of the Southern Isles now stripped of his title, it was a prison. He was currently under house arrest for the "despicable actions you have done against the country of Arendelle."

"Despicable?" he muttered to himself as he sat at his desk, staring out the window. "If anything, I was doing that damned country a favor, getting rid of a witch that had plunged it into an unnatural winter."

_You were so close._

Hans let out a snarl of frustration and paced around his room like a caged animal. His mind kept flashing back to the exact moment his sword was bearing down on the defenseless Snow Queen, until Anna showed up deflected the blow by turning into ice. How could his sword break just like that against ice, anyway?

_I suppose it had something to do with magic,_ Hans thought, twisting his mouth into a thin smile. His musings were interrupted by the door flying open, revealing a tall, thin man with hair the same rusty shade as his, disheveled and falling over his bespectacled eyes. The firelight reflected from his glasses, hiding his gaze from Hans.

"I trust you're well tonight, Hans," the man remarked, closing the door behind him. "I have something to discuss with you."

The thin smile on Hans's face smoothed over into what he hoped was a bland, pleasant expression. "Thank you for inquiring about my health, Thomas. Come here to give me another lecture? Or wait, let me guess—did you miss me?" he said mildly, his tone gratingly insincere. He made a show of rubbing his chin thoughtfully, trying to guess what his brother might wish to discuss with him. When Thomas didn't rise to the bait—not that Hans had expected him to, Thomas has always been annoyingly calm and collected—he leveled an impassive stare at his third-oldest brother. Thomas stared back, cool brown eyes assessing him.

"Sit down," Thomas ordered. Much as Hans wanted to disobey, something about Thomas's tone made him do so. It galled him how easily his older brothers bent him to their will.

_You were so close,_ the mocking voice whispered once again. He ignored it and sat down, holding Thomas's gaze.

"Well? What brings you to my prison, brother?" Hans asked pleasantly, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest.

Thomas remained standing and pushed his glasses up his nose. "I have a proposition for you," he said without preamble. "Do you want to start over?"

Hans frowned. "Start over? What do you mean?"

"Listen carefully to what I'm about to offer you, Hans. If you're smart, you'd do well to consider it. It may be your only chance for redemption."

Hans raised an eyebrow. _Redemption_? _Well, I suppose one should feel sorry for having attempted regicide,_ he thought sardonically.

"Are you listening to me, Hans?"

He was powerless right now. But this might be the chance to turn things to his favor.

"I'm listening."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Frozen is the property of Disney. I do not own anything except the original characters in this work of fanfiction.

* * *

**Chapter Two:** _Changes_

_June 20th, early morning_

Anna dreamed.

She was on a sled, speeding down the slope, the crisp mountain air stinging her cheeks and the wind roaring in her ears. As she approached the bottom, she could see Kai standing there, cupping his hands over his mouth and shouting something. The wind ate most of his words, leaving her to hear nothing but garbled gibberish.

"What's that, Kai? Can't hear you!" Anna hollered as the sled picked up more speed. "Yeah, I think reindeers are better than—" She was cut off by the sled hitting something, the impact sending her hurtling through the air. She felt she was floating through the air in slow motion—and knew she wasn't going to get hurt when she landed because there would be twenty fresh feet of powder down there. It'd be like landing on a pillow.

Hopefully.

But reality had a way of barging in dreams. Kai's insistent knock finally brought Anna back to the land of the living somewhat, making her jerk upright. "Huh?"

"Princess Anna?" Kai's voice, muffled by the door, asked. "Apologies for the disturbance, but it's time to get ready."

"Mmph...ready for what?" Anna slurred out, registering a vague sense of déjà vu at the back of her sleep-addled mind.

"It's Founder's Day, Ma'am."

"Hwwaahhh...my birthday tomorrow…Founder's Day today..." her eyelids drooped then snapped open when Kai's words finally clicked in place. "Founder's Day and my birthday!" she exclaimed, jumping out of bed.

And promptly tripped over the carpet when she took her first step.

"Ow...this didn't happen last time," Anna moaned, rubbing her left forearm, which caught the brunt of the fall. "Then again, last time this happened, stuff happened." She frowned, a bit of unease mixing in with the déjà vu as she remembered how Elsa's coronation day began. "Nah, everything's fine now. You're being silly, Anna." She slapped her cheeks, wincing when she hit herself too hard. "Besides, if that thing didn't happen, then you wouldn't have what you have right now, right?" she rationalized, thinking about how she got her sister back and how she gained Kristoff's...friendship.

Alright, fine, love. They hadn't said the words yet to each other, but they knew they were in love. It wasn't smooth sailing all the time because Kristoff had a tendency to be such a butthead, especially about bringing her along with him on his ice harvesting trips. To date, she remained unsuccessful in persuading him to bring her with him—sweet talking him or throwing a tantrum never worked. Even asking for it as a birthday present didn't. But he's certainly made it clear how he felt toward her, not so much in words, but in little ways that normally would've gone over her head if anyone other than Kristoff did it. She liked it whenever he placed a hand at the small of her back whenever they enter a room, or how he stepped protectively in front of her whenever they had to navigate through the busy market crowds, and how he immediately grasped her hand gently yet firmly in his warm, broad one whenever they're together. She felt her cheeks heating up at the memory of their first kiss at the docks. How broad Kristoff's shoulders felt under her hands, how warm his lips were over hers, and how sweetly and hesitantly he—

"Right. Anyway..." Her cheeks reddening, Anna clambered to her feet and walked to her dresser, sitting down before the mirror to tame her snarled copper locks. She found herself so preoccupied with the task that she never heard her sister knock and open the door when she didn't answer.

"Need any help?"

"Elsa! Sheesh, you startled me," Anna gasped, placing a hand over her thundering heart.

Elsa raised an eyebrow and took the brush from her. "I knocked three times," she countered, turning Anna around by the shoulders so she could face the mirror. She gathered her younger sister's hair and started brushing, her deft, gloveless fingers making quick work of the tangles, her eyes focused on what she was doing. Anna, despite being lulled by the gentle pulling of her hair, observed Elsa's reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a new outfit: a short, puffed sleeved white cotton shirt underneath a fitted blue waistcoat with silver buttons and a gray skirt that fell halfway down her shins. Elsa wore her hair in a loose chignon instead of a tight bun, a few unruly locks escaping and framing her pale, delicate face.

Yet despite the change in Elsa's everyday style, she reminded Anna of someone—especially when she ran her fingers through Anna's hair to check for more tangles. "There. All done," she pronounced. "Do you want me to braid your hair for you too?"

Anna shook her head. "No. I mean, I can do it myself," she said, taking the brush from Elsa. "Thanks."

A flicker of disappointment crossed Elsa's face, which caught Anna's eye. "Sorry. It's just…for a second there, you looked like Mama," she blurted. "She used to braid my hair for me. I started braiding it on my own when she and Papa were...lost at sea."

_Seriously, Anna. Why'd you have to bring that up today, of all days?_ Anna wanted to kick herself. She thought she had already outgrown her uncontrollable tongue.

Apparently not. Being a year older didn't miraculously make her wiser.

But Anna was surprised when Elsa's face took on a gentle expression. "If I dyed my hair dark brown and wore it the way she did, I'd pass as Mama, wouldn't I?" she said, looking at her reflection.

"Yeah. And I got most of Papa's looks. Good thing I didn't get his nose though," Anna quipped, breathing a mental sigh of relief at Elsa's reaction as she rubbed her own nose.

Elsa made a thoughtful noise, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "I wonder who in our family is blonde, though. If Mama and Papa were any indication, Grandfather Bertram and Uncle Richard were brunets, and Grandfather Raimond was a redhead," she mused, almost to herself. "Anyway, we'd better get dressed. Come on," she said, tugging on Anna's arm.

"Where are we going?"

Elsa smiled secretively. "To your birthday present. Here." She pushed Anna in front and blindfolded her before the latter could protest.

"Hang on, my birthday's tomorrow," Anna protested, letting her older sister guide her by the shoulders to wherever her present was.

"Are you saying you're willing to wait until then? Because I can postpone giving it to you," Elsa teased, stopping.

"You can't take your present back! Anyway, can I take this off now?" Anna huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No, not yet." Anna heard a door opening, then felt Elsa take her hands to pull her into a room. "Wait here." She heard some shuffling noises, like furniture being moved around and curtains being swept back. At once she felt the warmth of the summer sun against her skin—the next thing she knew, Elsa had whipped the blindfold off her eyes. She found herself in the middle of a room, blinking against the sunlight.

"Well? What do you think?" Through blurry vision, she saw Elsa wringing her hands in anticipation, flashing her a wide yet nervous grin.

"Wait one second, let my eyes adjust and…whoa." Anna's jaw dropped. "Is this…is this a dressing room?"

"Yes. Our dressing room." Elsa smiled and took Anna's hands in her cool ones. "Happy early birthday, sis."

"Oh Elsa, how did you know?" Anna shot her an incredulous look. "How did you know I've always wanted a shared dressing room?"

"Actually, I didn't, until recently," Elsa admitted. "This was supposed to connect our rooms, but…well, you know what happened." She paused. "This room was shut for years, used for storage, until I overheard you telling Kristoff about how you wanted to share a dressing room with me. So I dug up old castle plans and had some renovations done. It's a good thing you were always out, otherwise I probably wouldn't have gotten away with it." She walked toward the right wall and ran a hand over it. "There's supposed to be a door here, but there's no way I could keep making a doorway a secret from you before your birthday, so we'll just do some minor additional work here. The door's already done on my side."

Sure enough, there was a door on the opposite wall. Anna smiled and threw her arms around her older sister. "Thank you," she murmured. "This means so much to me."

Anna felt Elsa nodding against her shoulder. A shared dressing room sounded so innocuous, but considering what they've been through as sisters, it was definitely a fitting gift. _No more closed doors between us,_ she thought jubilantly, feeling Elsa tighten her embrace before letting go. "Well, then, how about we christen our dressing room, huh? I've got our dresses right here." With a flourish, Elsa directed Anna's attention toward two dummies.

The dresses were in the colors each sister favored, which were blue and green respectively, and largely similar. Elsa's consisted of a sky blue shirt with three-quarter sleeves, a royal blue bodice with a square neckline and gold buttons, and a navy blue skirt. The skirt was embroidered with rosemaling along its hem, mostly consisting of Arendelle's royal crest, the crocus. Anna's dress was made up of a short-sleeved light blue shirt, a rose-colored bodice with a sweetheart neckline, and a sage green skirt. Like Elsa's, the skirt was embroidered with crocuses as well. Remarkably though, today's temperature was mild, similar to a spring day rather than a sweltering summer one.

"Perfect for Founder's Day," Anna commented, running a finger over the bodice of her dress. "You know, one thing I noticed every Founder's Day—the weather's always nice, isn't it?"

"Mmm-hmm," Elsa agreed, peering out the window to see the summer sun shining brightly amid the clear blue sky. Founder's Day was celebrated every third Saturday of June, and it so happened that Anna's birthday was the next day. Anna guessed Elsa had decreed to make Founder's Day more festive than usual because she had wondered what fairs and carnivals are like. For a day, the city square was transformed into a large carnival. Later in the evening, a play will be staged about the Arngrim Arendahl, their mythical ancestor and founder of the kingdom of Arendelle.

Anna couldn't suppress a thrill of excitement for her birthday the next day—Elsa was going to throw a birthday ball in her honor. _Wow. A ball. In. My. Honor. Elsa's really spoiling me, but I'm not complaining!_she thought, grinning widely. But as generous her older sister was, Anna knew it was also a calculated move because it was the perfect opportunity for Arendelle to drum up new business and trade. Arendelle was a mountainous, rugged, icy country—as such, crops and grain were mostly imported from Weselton. As a consequence of its duke's actions almost a year ago, Arendelle had dropped Weselton as a trading partner. Anna knew Elsa had been corresponding with other nations for a possible trade agreement, considering how much time she spent holed up in her study in the past nine months—she worked herself so hard that she came down with a particularly virulent case of flu sometime last November.

Yet despite her older sister's best efforts to show that Arendelle was a peaceful country that was only interested in trade, only a few countries had expressed interest in forging some sort of alliance. Luckily, Arendelle's council was prudent enough to have saved food provisions until next spring, but Anna didn't think Elsa would like rationing out food. The Queen of Arendelle had her pride, after all.

As a gesture of goodwill, Elsa had also invited the Southern Isles to the ball after receiving a letter of apology from its king. She explained to Anna that it would be impossible to prove whether Hans was acting on his own or upon orders of the crown, so therefore the best course of action she could take was to give the Southern Isles the benefit of the doubt and keep a close eye on it. Anna relented grudgingly after Elsa further explained that Arendelle needs to show that it was a peaceful and mostly forgiving country.

"I guess I should be happy Weaseltown's not invited," Anna had said. "The other countries know that the duke tried to have you killed, so that's why we're not trading with them, anymore, right?"

"Precisely."

"Hmph, whoever the Southern Isles is going to send better not pull any funny business."

Snapping back to the present, Anna glanced at Elsa standing pensively by the window and decided she looked far too serious for a day filled with possibilities. Grabbing her sister in a playful chokehold, she dragged Elsa to the center of the room and declared, "Well, let's get dressed, then. I just know it's going to be a wonderful day, and I can't wait to get started!"

* * *

"What do you think, Sven? Perfect for Anna or not?"Kristoff asked the reindeer, which was contentedly munching on some carrots. The pair was at the stables, with Kristoff having just finished cleaning Sven up for the festivities later. The reindeer swallowed and eyed the thing his master held and snorted in response, nosing toward it.

"No, Sven, it's not a carrot. Besides, Anna's more partial to strawberries. Anyway, looks pretty good, doesn't it?"

"What looks good?" a voice from behind them asked, making both the ice harvester and reindeer jump. Olaf waddled in with his customary grin.

"It's just you," Kristoff breathed, his shoulders slumping in relief. "What do you want?"

"Oh, I was just walking around, shooting the breeze when I overheard you talking to Sven about a thing. So what's this thing you're discussing with Sven?" the snowman asked, peering up at Kristoff curiously. "Oooh, oooh, I think I know! It's for Anna's birthday, right?"

"Yup."

"So what'll you give her then?"

"This." Kristoff produced a slightly crude, palm-sized carving of…something. Olaf squinted at it uncertainly.

"Is that a carving of a pear? Why not give Anna a real pear?" the snowman ventured.

"No, it's not a pear. It's a lute! Can't you tell?" Kristoff said exasperatedly.

"Looks like a pear to me," Olaf remarked, shrugging.

"What, haven't you seen a lute before?"

"Nope!"

Kristoff rolled his eyes and scrubbed his face with his hands. Dealing with Olaf required the patience of a saint sometimes, and he was far from being one. He wondered how Elsa could've produced something like Olaf—knowing Anna's sister, he would've thought she'd come up with something as whip-smart as her, not something like…Olaf.

However exasperating the good-natured snowman could be sometimes, even a grump like Kristoff couldn't bring himself to outright admit that Olaf could be a little—alright, very—clueless sometimes.

"Okay, so that's a lute. I have no idea what a lute is, but why a carving? Why not give her a real one?"

"Anna doesn't play the lute. Besides, this is more of a reminder. I'm going to tell her today." Kristoff let out a breath, his palms suddenly sweating as he tried to remember what he planned to tell Anna.

"Tell her what?"

"T-tell her that..." the ice harvester gulped, attacked by a sudden bout of nerves. _Seriously, you're just an ice harvester, no matter what fancy title's been given to you. Man, you've got ambition, aiming for a princess!_

"That…?" Olaf prompted, raising his eyebrows.

"T-that I—"

"That you?"

"Thatitstruelovewithher," Kristoff mumbled, his eyes darting about nervously for anyone to hear. Olaf raised a hand to the side of his head where an ear would have been.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Aaaugh! Leave me alone, okay? Let me go psych myself up in peace!" Kristoff stomped out the stables, muttering under his breath.

"Sheesh, was it something I said?" Olaf wondered, glancing up at Sven with wide eyes. The reindeer shrugged—or at least, the closest thing a reindeer could do with his shoulders.

"Well, good luck, Kristoff!"

* * *

Kristoff saw Anna out of the corner of his eye raising an eyebrow quizzically at him. He knew it was probably because he looked slightly queasy the entire time they had been together today. As far as he could tell, she had fun with him—she managed to win a reindeer-shaped keychain for him at the ball toss, which made him feel both really happy and embarrassed at the same time. Shouldn't it had been the other way around, like him winning something for his girl? But Anna looked so proud of winning him something that it even if it didn't seem manly to do so—because usually, isn't it supposed to be the other way around?—he hugged and kissed her on the cheek. He knew she was dying to ask what was bothering him, and when she did, he answered by pulling her toward the docks where it was quiet.

"I need to tell you something," Kristoff said, scanning the surroundings to check if anyone was around. _Good. We're alone. Calm down, she's not going to bite—well, if she did bite me, I'll probably—damn it, man, stop right there! You're making her nervous!_

"What is it, Kristoff?" Anna asked, disentangling her hands from his grip. She faced him and wiped her hands on her skirt. "You're kind of scaring me here."

"What? No, don't be! I mean, this is a good thing, at least, I think so, and I just...uh..." Kristoff rubbed his neck and gulped. _Now or never, buddy. Go for it!_ He cleared his throat and reached for something in his pocket. "W-well, first I wanted to give you this. Happy birthday, Anna." He presented her the lute carving he showed Olaf earlier, which he worked on some more after leaving the stables. More intricate and smoother now, he had added some details like varnish and little crocuses along the border of the lute's body. Watching her carefully, he hoped she understood the significance behind his present to her and felt his heart kick double-time in his chest when an expression of befuddlement crossed Anna's features. _Please don't make me explain it,_ he pleaded silently.

"Um, this is really nice. You know, this carving of an avocado. Why does it have rosemaling, though?"

Kristoff's jaw dropped and his mind completely blanked. "A-avocado?" he croaked. He didn't even know what a damned avocado was, but he sure as hell didn't give her a carving of one!

"T-that's not…"

Anna seemed to realize how upset he was, probably because he was turning into an unhealthy shade of puce. "Kristoff, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly, grabbing his sleeve. "Are you feeling okay? Did you eat something bad? I knew it, that potato salad was a bad idea!"

Kristoff cleared his throat and forced himself to calm down. He tried to remember that he was with the girl he loved, who he was pretty sure loved him too. It was evident in the way her eyes shone whenever she looked at him, the way she always touched his arm every time she rambled on and on about how her day went, and the way she licked her lips nervously whenever he bent his head toward her for a kiss. He had never been in love—never even noticed girls, though he was observant enough to notice how the milkmaids in town gave him speculative looks whenever he sold his ice at the docks. But this girl had broken through his grumpy, taciturn shell with her talkativeness and tendency to trip on non-existent things. He wanted nothing more than to bundle her in his arms and never let her go.

Though now, he wanted to wave his hand over her eyes and ask her if she was blind. Couldn't she see it was a lute? Not an avocado, whatever it was?

"Anna, that's not an avocado. It's a lute. Or a carving of it, anyway."

"It is?" Anna looked at it doubtfully, turning it over in her hands. He watched, first in frustration and then in fascination, as understanding dawned in her face, her eyes widening in remembrance.

"Kristoff—are you saying…?

He rolled his eyes as a sense of relief washed over him. "Finally, she understands," he cried, throwing his hands up. But he stopped short, narrowing his eyes at her. "Do you?"

"It's true love!" she exclaimed, mimicking the exact tone she used the first time she uttered it—that is to say, while they were being chased by wolves while searching for Elsa.

If anyone passed by, he or she would have seen a weird tableau of the princess of Arendelle shoving something in the Royal Ice Master and Deliverer's face. The expression on the master's face was that of complete surprise, while the princess wore a fierce scowl on hers.

Of course, seeing how the two seemed to be having an argument, a passer-by wouldn't linger overlong.

Back to the tableau, Anna lowered the hand that held Kristoff's carving to his face, her scowl melting into a goofy grin. "Is that what you're saying with this?" she asked for good measure.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to say, Feistypants." He winced and staggered back when Anna emitted a squeal, throwing her arms around his neck. He didn't object when she rained kisses all over his face, smiling as she did so.

"Oh Kristoff, I didn't think—I mean—"

"Just tell me you love me too," he said, lowering her back to the ground. She smiled and kept her arms looped around his neck, her fingers playing with the ends of his hair.

"Yes," she said quietly this time. "I love you, Kristoff."

He could only hope that one day he could say the same words with a straight face, or without having to rely on a carving of a lute to express his feelings and then having it mistaken for a fruit.

One more thing he loved about Anna: she was never a follower. And so, he followed her lead when she raised herself on her toes and kissed him with, he was sure, all her heart and soul.

Wherever she would go, there he would be.

The two separated, gazing at each other with starry eyes, until Anna frowned slightly.

"Um, Kristoff?"

"Mmm?" He was still seeing stars from that kiss, and grinned at her rather goofily. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"Nothing. Just that today's not my birthday. It's tomorrow."

"…Oh." After a beat, he said, "Well, that killed the mood."

Anna snorted with laughter. "Don't worry," she replied, looking up at him with that incredible smile which captivated him from the beginning and cupped his jaw with her hand. "I still love you anyway."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Frozen is the property of Disney. I do not own anything except the original characters in this work of fanfiction.

* * *

**Chapter Three:** Visitors

"Well, here we are. Arendelle. Charming country, isn't it?" a young man observed, breathing in the crisp winter air. He was dressed in clothes befitting a gentleman, giving the impression that he was either nobility or a wealthy merchant's son. His companion, who was similarly garbed but in dark, somber colors, nodded in agreement.

"Hard to believe this place was buried in snow last summer," the young man continued then winced, remembering that what he said was a sore spot for his friend. However, the other did not give any indication that he was upset, only making a noise of agreement at the young man's statement.

"Anyway, Weselton's loss is Corona's gain. The trade agreement will be signed on Tuesday, so let me know if you're hitching a ride back with me, Lars," he said.

Lars smiled and clapped a hand on the young man's shoulder in gratitude. "Thank you for the offer, Max. And congratulations on closing the deal, even if it's a little premature. It's your first one, isn't it?"

Max's lips twitched into a crooked grin. "Yep. The screwup finally did something right since inheriting the Easterton title," he said jovially, although the cheer did not reach his green eyes. Lars knew better than to pursue that line of thought and decided to change the subject.

"So what was Queen Elsa like?" he asked, the summer breeze ruffling his rust-colored wavy hair and Max's straight bangs. He resisted the urge to remove his coat—though he was from the warmer Southern Isles, he preferred the coolness of winter. The cold never bothered him as much.

On the other hand, Max wiped his hand over his brow before answering him. "Well," he drawled thoughtfully after a pause, rubbing his chin as he recalled how the meeting went, "she sneezed on me."

"Excuse me?" Lars raised an eyebrow. According to reports, the Snow Queen of Arendelle was the epitome of royalty—polite, prim, and proper. Gracious and hospitable toward guests. Reserved at best and cold at worst.

The pun was not intended.

He needed to know how to deal with Queen Elsa since relations between his and her country were very sensitive, and the last thing he needed was to make things worse. Of all his brothers, he didn't understand why he was the one who got sent to smooth things over—he was a soldier, not a diplomat. But a soldier never questioned his orders and always prepared for battle. He knew he shouldn't consider the queen as an enemy, considering the grievance his brother had committed against her. But he was the cautious sort, especially since he was charged to do something that was out of his depth. Unlike his brothers Thomas or Hans, he was not in possession of a silver tongue. _Once again, Thomas, what the hell were you thinking, sending me to be the Southern Isles's ambassador to Arendelle,_ he wondered.

"In hindsight, it was kind of funny," Max went on as they walked briskly toward the inn they were staying in while in Arendelle, the Twin Stags. "She was ill when I arrived, so Princess Anna took the lead in Arendelle's side of the negotiations. She was very good at presenting how Corona could stand to benefit from Arendelle's ice—then again, I suppose it's because of her relationship with an ice harvester. Nice fellow, that Kristoff—a bit of a grump though."

"Yes, and?" Lars prompted, a touch of impatience in his voice. He sidestepped around the children that were barreling towards them, guessing they were intent on reaching the carnival grounds. He felt a slight smile tug at the corner of this mouth. _It's been so long since I heard the sound of children laughing, he reflected. The citizens of Arendelle seem happy with their ruler._ He noted the smiles on people's faces as he and Max navigated their way through the crowd.

"Anyway, apparently the queen was curious about how the princess handled the negotiations and decided to eavesdrop. When she got caught, she sneezed and caused a blizzard in the great hall," Max went on, chuckling. "It was rather charming, actually, seeing her all flustered like that. Hardly the formidable Snow Queen I've heard of. And did I mention she was beautiful?"

Lars narrowed his hazel eyes warningly. "Watch yourself. Remember that the trade agreement's not signed yet."

Max rolled his eyes in response. "Yes, Mother," he groused as they entered the inn. Lars followed Max, who stopped by the front desk to retrieve their room keys. "I don't understand why other countries view her as a possible threat though. She's actually quite nice once you get over the fact that she has the power over winter." He gave Lars a sidelong glance. "I'm sure that with your polish, wit, and charm, you'll win her over and bring the Southern Isles back to Arendelle's good graces."

"Thank you for your vote of confidence," Lars deadpanned, shrugging off his coat and draping it over his arm as they ascended the stairs leading to their respective rooms.

"You're welcome."

* * *

Anna couldn't help but sigh as she and Kristoff wandered around the city square, which was crammed with stalls selling wares and services ("Fortune telling's a service now?" Kristoff asked skeptically.), game booths, and street performers. It has been an hour since they had officially professed their love for each other, even if he didn't technically say the words. Still, he was a man of action than of words, so she didn't mind so much. _The words will come later—well, they'd better,_ Anna thought, tightening her grip on Kristoff's bicep fractionally. She still felt like she was walking on air despite that slightly depressing thought, with Kristoff's solid, burly arm keeping her grounded as they milled through the crowd.

Many of Arendelle's citizens recognized their princess—she was a common sight in the marketplace since she always met the ice master there so they could eat at Erik's tavern, or at the end of the day to accompany him back to his house near the castle. It was a gift from Elsa for helping Anna out seven months ago. He had tried to refuse, saying it was too much, until Anna had wheedled him into accepting it.

"You'll make me the happiest girl in the world if you accepted it. Please?" she had pleaded, staring up at him with wide eyes and a pouting mouth. Kristoff had remained stony-faced, until he capitulated with a sigh.

"Hard to say no to you, Feistypants."

A beat of silence had followed, and then, "So does that mean you'll take me ice harvesting tomorrow?

"No."

"I hate you."

"Anna?"

She started and broke out of her reverie to look up at Kristoff, who peered down at her with raised eyebrows. "Sorry, I was lost in thought," she admitted sheepishly. "What were you saying?"

"I said those guys," he motioned to her left, "are waving at you. Huh," he squinted. "One of them looks like that earl from Corona."

"Really?" she whipped around to see Lord Easterton making his way toward her, followed by a man she didn't recognize. "Lord Easterton! You came," she said, giving him a welcoming smile.

"Of course. There's no way I'd miss a fair. I must say, it's good to see you here, Your Highness," Max replied, bowing to her. "Master Kristoff, good to see you too," he said, extending his hand for Kristoff to shake. Kristoff took it with a small smile.

"Likewise," he simply said. "So who's that with you?" he asked with an upward jerk of his chin.

"Ah, yes, please allow me to introduce my good friend, Prince Lars of the Southern Isles."

Anna's smile froze, and at the corner of her eye she saw Kristoff darting a concerned glance at her. Max picked up on this and cleared his throat.

"Now, I understand that things are rather frosty between Arendelle and the Southern Isles—" he was cut off by when Lars put a hand on his shoulder.

"Really, Max? You choose to defuse a situation with puns?" Lars remarked, raising an eyebrow at his friend, who shrugged. "I'm a novice ambassador, but even I won't resort to that. Forgive the…unusual introduction, Princess Anna," he continued, turning to her, "but despite the situation between our respective countries, please allow me to say that it is a pleasure to meet you." He sketched a graceful bow, which seemed at odds with his broad frame. He was half a head taller than Max, putting him at the same height as Kristoff, though probably not as brawny. Up close, Anna saw that his eyes were a pair of thickly-lashed hazel eyes that had more brown than green in them, but while Hans's were wide and innocent, Lars's were narrower and had faint lines at the corners, giving him a stern look. And while the brothers shared the same hair color, Lars's was wavier with much shorter sideburns compared to Hans. His jaw was square to his brother's more angular one, and he had a deeper, gruffer voice while the other had practiced, cultivated tones.

Despite the glaring differences between the brothers, everything about Lars reminded Anna of Hans that it took her a minute to respond to him. She started when Kristoff nudged her.

"I…yes. But I can't say I feel the same way though," she recovered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I understand, Princess Anna. But all the same, please allow me to apologize for Hans's behavior. He is currently under house arrest while my brother King Ferdinand decides his ultimate fate."

Anna opened her mouth to say more but is stopped by Kristoff squeezing her shoulder firmly in warning. Don't, his eyes seemed to say when she turned toward him. She decided to bite her tongue.

Mostly, anyway.

"Hmph. House arrest, huh?" she said instead.

"He is still our brother, and we are hoping to rehabilitate him. I am sorry if that doesn't meet your expectations."

Anna sighed at that. _Do I really want Hans to be…I don't know, punished really, really badly? I mean, he did try to murder me and Elsa to usurp Arendelle's throne._

"Just…don't try to pull any funny stuff, okay? Elsa's been through a lot."

"On my honor, Princess Anna."

"Yeah, that's what your brother said too." She shook her head. "Sorry. I know you're not…him. But you understand why I'm currently not too fond of the Southern Isles, right?"

Lars nodded. "I will do I can to restore my country's honor in your eyes, Princess. You can be sure of that."

"How?"

Anna could see that the prince was taken aback by her forthrightness, but she wasn't taking any chances. Elsa had gone on a self-imposed exile for thirteen years to protect her—therefore, it was now her turn to protect her older sister. She knew she was also in danger of triggering a diplomatic disaster, but something about his manner gave her the gut feeling that he was telling the truth and didn't mind her bluntness.

"I honestly don't know, Princess Anna. But if the opportunity to do so comes, I hope you will give me a chance to prove my word is true."

"I might have to take you up on that, Prince Lars." Anna turned to go, but stopped short as if she remembered something. "Did he really have twelve older brothers?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

At this Lars smiled wryly. "Hans's honor may be questionable, but on that matter he was honest with you. What he didn't say was that his mother and mine was our father's third wife. I'm his oldest full brother, and the eighth oldest among the lot."

"He's the unlucky thirteenth son, then."

Something darkened in Lars's eyes. "Yes, he is. But that doesn't excuse his actions against you and Queen Elsa."

An awkward silence fell like a blanket among them, until it was broken by Max. "Well then. We'll just wander around and enjoy ourselves with the entertainments your Founder's Day can offer us, right, Lars?" He elbowed the prince.

"Ah. Yes. Your country really is quite lovely. Arendelle seems to be flourishing under Queen Elsa's rule," Lars said, which made Anna bristle.

"Of course it is, because Elsa's working herself to the bone," she retorted. "Well, enjoy yourselves, gentlemen. Elsa's invited you to my birthday ball, so I guess I'll see you there too." With those words, she marched off, followed by Kristoff who shot them a slightly apologetic look over his shoulder. Anna heard Max say something over the din of the crowd.

"That went rather well, didn't it? Your polish, wit, and charm bowled the Princess over. I'm sure you can't do any worse with the Queen."

"Shut up, Max."

* * *

_…I do hope your country would consider trading with mine. It would be beneficial to_

The sound of a quill scratching on paper filled her ears as Elsa crossed the unfinished sentence out with a bit more force than needed. Sighing, she leaned back on her chair and pressed the heels of her cool hands against her tired eyes to soothe them.

_Remind me again why I signed up for this?_she asked herself. _Oh, right. You didn't. This was what you were born to do._ Her gaze drifted to the portrait miniature of family, painted when she was about four years old, which sat on the desk. _You know what I would have wanted to be if I wasn't queen, Papa? That's the sad thing. I don't._

She cast her mind back to one of the earliest lessons her father had taught her about being a ruler. She had been five years old; it was right after church, a bright spring day. The royal family had gone on a picnic at the meadow outside the castle gates. Fields upon fields of crocuses were in full bloom, and Elsa was keeping a close eye on Anna, who was running around in wild circles among the flowers.

"I hope your sister isn't driving you crazy, Elsa," her father remarked, watching his younger daughter's attention being diverted by a dragonfly. Elsa shook her head.

"No, it's okay. She's pretty funny," she replied, smiling up at him. Agdar returned her smile with one of his own and sat on the grass, facing her. She saw him glance up and nod, making her turn her head to see her mother walking toward Anna to supervise her. Both Agdar and Elsa decided then it was safe to take their eyes off Anna.

Agdar plucked a blossom. "Do you know what kind of flower this is?"

"It's a crocus. My tutor said so." She tilted her head, as if trying to remember something. "It's everywhere in the castle, like in the plates and wallpaper. Why is that, Papa?"

"The crocus is the official crest of Arendelle." Seeing his older daughter scrunch her forehead in confusion, Agdar continued to explain. "A crest is a symbol—a sign. You know what signs are, don't you?" Elsa nodded solemnly, sensing her father was about to teach her something new. She loved it whenever he did that—she was a curious girl, always asking how and why things were, which delighted her tutors.

"Would you like to know why the crocus is the official crest of Arendelle?"

Elsa bit her lip, thinking hard. "It's a really pretty flower?" she ventured. Agdar laughed at her guess.

"Yes, you're right, crocuses are very pretty. But what makes it pretty is what it symbolizes. Rebirth and spring. You see, Arendelle is a land of brief, yet beautiful springs and summers, followed by long winters. The crocus is a reminder that whatever winter brings, there is always hope, and when there is hope there is life. With life—"

"There is love. Am I right, Papa?" Elsa interrupted, wanting to show off how smart she was to her father. He nodded approvingly.

"Yes. What is our family motto?"

"Love will thaw," she recited dutifully. "Tabuerit caritas."

"Very good, Elsa. Always remember that, and you will be a good queen," Agdar said, tucking the crocus blossom in her ear before whisking her up on his shoulders, making her shriek with laughter.

Elsa felt her throat tightening at the memory. Feeling maudlin, she stood and walked up to her father's coronation portrait. Though her eyes were ice blue and her father's were jade green, she distantly noted how their eyes shared the same seriousness.

_Déjà vu, isn't it, Papa? I stood in this same spot seven months ago, anxious and scared. Many things have changed since then, though,_ Elsa thought, taking in her father's stiff-backed posture. For one thing, it was strange to refer to this room as her study—she still felt she was a girl dressing up in the clothes of a queen. She had prepared to become the queen almost her whole life, with that memory the earliest lesson she could remember, and had been crowned and had ruled for months now. But in her mind, she still referred to this room as her father's study.

_I've opened the castle gates and hired new staff. Now that my powers are known to the world, what's the use of keeping them closed? That's why I decided to invite a number of nobles from other countries to Anna's birthday ball, to show that I'm not hiding anything anymore. On a practical standpoint, we do need additional staff because while Kai and Gerda kept the castle in top shape, they're getting old for the heavy responsibility of keeping everything in order._

_Our people seem to have accepted what I am. But what made them accept me just like that? Loyalty to our family? Considering the past thirteen years, that's amazing. I can't say the same for the rest of the world…well, I can't blame them for being wary and afraid of me. That's probably why most of them have not responded to my trade offer when I cut Weselton off. They heard how I lost control over my powers, and from reports I've gathered, they're afraid of what might happen if I lose control again._

_I'm not surprised by that, though. My powers are tied to my emotions, and you know how concealing how I felt had turned out. With Anna's help, I've gained more control over my powers._

_Anna and I…well, I can't say that our relationship's perfect. It was awkward at first because it was like getting a new sister all over again. But you know Anna—someone would have to have a frozen heart not to warm up to her._

She frowned and bit her lip. _That's what worries me. How dependent I am of Anna. She's certainly taken our family motto to heart. I'm not sure if I have. I was only able to stop the winter I caused back then because of her. But what will happen if I lose her again? Would I just fall to pieces like I did? When Hans told me that Anna was dead, when I heard the sound of a sword being pulled out of a scabbard, I didn't care at all that I was about to be killed. Anna saved me then died for me. I can't…I can't go through that again._ Her hands clenched into fists, and she felt the unwelcome yet familiar feel of ice creeping down her arm. She took a deep breath to calm herself then shook her head to clear it of dark thoughts.

_I know I can't afford to think that way, Papa. The people of Arendelle depend on me—I can't submit to weakness like that again. I need to be strong, not just for Anna, but for Arendelle. And I'm afraid I'm not quite there yet._

Three sharp raps on the door brought her out of brooding. "Your Majesty, are you ready?" Gerda asked from behind the door, her voice muffled. "It's already five o'clock. The play starts at half-past six."

"Thank you, Gerda. I will come out shortly," Elsa replied.

_I haven't been back to visit you and Mama yet. I'm sorry. But I will, once I can say that Arendelle will be alright in my hands._

_I am trying. I hope you can see that._

With that last thought, Elsa spun on her heel and walked sedately out of her father's study—she really should start referring to it as hers—with her head held high as befitting the Queen of Arendelle.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **Frozen is the property of Disney. I do not own anything except the original characters in this work of fanfiction.

* * *

**Chapter Four:** Shadow of Doubt

"You know, this is a great idea, bringing back the Founder's Day Play. I just wish it had a more exciting title than 'Founder's Day Play'," Anna said, making air quotes as they ascended the steps of the makeshift covered balcony. As the royal sisters of Arendelle, Elsa and Anna were seated atop the balcony that afforded them the best view of the play. "I never got to go to one, but you did, right, Elsa?"

Taking her seat, Elsa smiled as she remembered attending her first play, which was the one she and Anna were about to watch. She had been deemed old enough to sit through a play and stay past nine o'clock at the age of seven. Before attending her first play though, her mother had attempted to tell her the story of her ancestor.

"A long time ago, there lived a prince from a faraway land. His name was Arngrim. He was loved by many people because he was kind, brave, and strong," her mother began. "But one day, he saw a noble of his clan beating up an old servant. He tried to stop it, but accidentally killed the noble when he did. His enemies saw it as their chance to condemn him."

"What's condemn, Mama?"

"Uh…to blame. Now, where was I? Ah yes. So the incident—"

"What's incident?"

"Something that happened. So the incident was Arngrim's accidental killing of the noble," her mother continued. "Anyway, his enemies saw this as their chance to banish him—"

"How come Arngrim had enemies, Mama? I thought everyone loved him," Elsa asked, her forehead scrunching in confusion. Her mother smiled and shook her head, a mixture of amusement, pride, and mild exasperation on her face.

"I really have to get you started with etiquette lessons," she remarked. "And before you ask, etiquette means manners. So that means we'll have to get you started with lessons to improve your manners. It's not polite to keep interrupting people. But," she held up a finger when Elsa's face began to fall, "it's good that you're curious. When you don't know something, always look for the answer. The truth will set you free. Or so the saying goes." Her mother shrugged and bent down to kiss her on the forehead. "Time to go to bed, my little ice princess."

"Elsa?"

Elsa snapped out of her reverie to see her younger sister waving a hand over her face. "Sorry, you were saying something?"

Anna rolled her eyes. The doors are open between them now, which made it easier for Elsa to see how her tendency to shut herself off in her own little world was beginning to get on her sister's nerves. "You know, you really should stop doing that."

"What am I doing?"

"This!" Anna demonstrated, her face turning inscrutable. Absently, Elsa noted how good Anna was at imitating people. "Elsa," Anna placed her hands on Elsa's cheeks to look at her dead in the eye, "You have to be here in the now, okay? Sometimes, when you think you're alone, I see you with such a faraway look in your eyes," her hands fell to her lap. "Why?"

Elsa managed a reassuring smile. "If you're worried about me brooding, please don't," she replied, shaking her head. "I'm reminiscing, I guess. Mostly about the good times. It helps."

"Oh." Anna visibly deflated. Elsa knew Anna had been prepared to drag her out of an imagined funk, and felt a little guilty at how her revelation had taken the wind out of Anna's sails. It was a half-truth, at most. "Well, that's good. Anyway," she took a breath to change the subject, "I'm kind of bummed Kristoff can't sit with us. The view's much better here, and he's stuck down there," she said, referring to the benches lined up before the makeshift stage that was set up in the castle courtyard. Elsa saw a light blush running across the bridge of Anna's nose at the mention of the ice harvester's name, making her raise her eyebrow.

"Are you blushing?" Elsa asked, tilting her head curiously. Her younger sister leaned back against her chair, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her left ear.

"What? No," Anna said defensively. Elsa narrowed her eyes, pinning the other girl with a scrutinizing look.

"Liar. If anything, you're turning red as a tomato now," she playfully accused, tugging on one of Anna's braids.

"That's because you're staring at me! You're making me self-conscious," the princess huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Come on, Elsa, stop staring at me!"

"You started blushing when I said Kristoff's name—ha! You're doing it again! Spill it, something happened between you two," the queen persisted with a teasing grin, which grew when Anna stubbornly refused to answer. "You do know that I can have Kristoff brought up here to answer my questions. After all, I'm the queen."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I?" Elsa said sweetly. "Oh, Captain Schmidt," she trilled out, cupping one hand against the side of her mouth. "Will you—" she was cut off when Anna tamped a hand over her mouth.

"Alright, fine, you win! Look, it's nothing, okay? He, uh, well…earlier today he—we—um—toldeachotherwelovedeachother," she blurted out, looking away with her face flaming. Elsa's initial reaction was to arch her eyebrows in surprise, but as the shock wore off, she felt her mouth stretch into a smile of approval. Anna glanced back at her and raised her eyebrows as well.

"Wait, so you're okay with it?" she asked.

"Of course I am. I'm so happy for you, Anna," Elsa answered, squeezing her younger sister's hands in her own. But as she did, she felt something twinge in her chest that she couldn't identify, which she had always felt every time Anna and Kristoff as a couple were brought up. She had always thought it had something to do with being a protective older sister, but after Anna's revelation, she suspected it meant something else. Before she could figure it out though, Anna continued speaking.

"Ah...yeah," she said, abashed. "He didn't say exactly that he loved me, but he did give me this." Reaching into the pocket of her dress, she took out the carving Kristoff gave her. Elsa gave it a puzzled glance as she took it from Anna.

"It's...half a gourd?" she guessed, raising an eyebrow.

"Supposed to be a lute, or so Kristoff says." Anna shrugged.

"Why a lute?"

"Long tell you later, because it looks like the play's about to start." Anna pointed to the stage. Sure enough, a hush fell over the crowd as a man walked out into the stage.

"A long time ago, when the land we know and love as Arendelle has not yet come to be, there lived a prince..."

The narrator's voice faded away as Elsa felt herself going back in time to her childhood, remembering the rest of the story. As it went, his enemies gained the upper hand and tried to have the Council of Elders sentence him to death.

"The ground where innocent noble blood was spilled was sacred! The prince committed the crime before the altar of the Goddess of Winter. With the season only about a fortnight away, what he had done will bring twice as much evil luck!" one of his enemies accused him. "I say we offer up his head as a sacrifice to appease the Goddess!" At this, Prince Arngrim remained standing calmly, looking at his accuser with a steady gaze.

"And what about the innocent servant, my lords?" he countered quietly, addressing the Council. "As warriors and noblemen, do we not have the duty to protect those under our rule? Royalty and nobility are given this power, for with it comes great responsibility. We have not been given this power to abuse those who cannot defend themselves."

_With great power comes great responsibility,_ Elsa mused, her hands fisting in her skirt as the play unfolded onstage. She had always viewed her powers as a curse, something that had ripped her away from her family and growing up normally. Fear had kept her from using it at all; it was only in the past few months that she used her powers without hesitation. But there was always a voice of caution whispering at the back of her head, telling her to hold back and be careful where she aimed. She didn't know if that whisper was because of her cautious personality, or if it was a remnant of the thirteen years of fear she spent growing up. Or was she even cautious? After all, she had thrown caution to the wind when she ran away to the North Mountain during her coronation, leaving her kingdom in the grip of a vicious winter.

At that, Elsa realized how sad it was that she didn't truly know who she was. Was she really the self-assured ruler these past eleven months? Or was she still the scared little girl who flinched at the slightest contact?

She knew people were made up of shades of gray. But thirteen years of being told what to do, of living with exacting standards, left her paralyzed with indecision at the worst of times. Banning Weselton as a trade partner, for instance, was a decision that left her agonizing for days after she had pronounced it so. Keeping Weselton on as a trading partner would give the impression that Arendelle is a vulnerable country with a pushover for a queen. To counter that possibility, she had written a strongly-worded letter to the duke that he and anything that came from his country was not welcome in Arendelle, and that he if so much as placed one foot within Arendelle's borders, there would be consequences. Yet after sending the letter off, Elsa felt a stone sinking in the pit of her stomach.

The last thing she wanted was war.

But she had already given the word to ban Weselton, and had to live with the burden of her decision. Weselton had been a very important trading partner and a rising military power to boot, and its loss was keenly felt by Arendelle's economy. Luckily, the prosperous Corona was willing to fill the vacuum Weselton left, and it took all of Elsa's skill not to show how relieved she was at having averted another disaster. _It's a good thing I know how to put on a mask,_ she thought grimly. _Otherwise…well, I don't know. So far, I've been lucky. But how long will my luck last?_

"Wow, look at that! Those guys Kai hired are good," Anna commented, snapping Elsa out of her brooding. Her sister motioned to the stage, pointing at the elaborate set pieces that depicted a Viking longboat which carried Arngrim and his loyal followers and their families. Instead of getting sentenced to death, Arngrim's supporters managed to get him banished instead of executed. Nodding in agreement with Anna's statement, Elsa forced herself to follow the rest of the story.

Prince Arngrim and his followers found an enticing fjord fit for habitation. Unbeknownst to them, the fjord was a favorite haunt of the Goddess of Winter. Angered by the intrusion, the Goddess demanded they leave. But Prince Arngrim, seeing how tired his followers were in traveling the rough seas, humbled himself before the Goddess to ask if they may stay. He gave his oath that they will always keep the land safe; they will strive to keep it peaceful. Touched by Arngrim's humility and sincerity, the Goddess felt her heart warm a little toward this mortal man, and allowed him and his followers to settle in her sacred land. She decided to keep an eye on him to make sure he kept his promise, and before long, she fell in love with the prince.

"Oooh, so does that mean we're descended from a goddess?" Anna elbowed Elsa, her eyes twinkling. Elsa grinned at her enthusiasm, feeling her earlier dark mood lightening—it was exactly the sort of thing that appealed to her younger sister's romantic sensibilities.

"Ha, I doubt it." Elsa snorted and wiggled her fingers near Anna's face to let out a puff of cold air, ruffling the latter's bangs. Anna laughed and ran her fingers through her hair to fix the mess Elsa made.

"Come on, Elsa! Ice powers, hello?"

"There are no written records of Arngrim aside from our family tree, and historical texts that mention Arngrim's name only popped up during Bjorn the Bold's reign."

"You and your books. Spoilsport." Anna rolled her eyes and grinned at Elsa to tease her about her adherence to the written word. "Anyway, that made me think...what would happen if I had powers like yours?" she wondered idly.

"Every day would be a snow day," Elsa deadpanned. "And you would've still bugged me about building snowmen."

"Yeah, probably," Anna agreed. "What's it like? You know, having powers?"

Elsa raised her eyebrows in surprise, looking at Anna. "You know, nobody's asked me that before," she answered. She looked up and scrunched her forehead thoughtfully. "It's kind of hard to describe, but...I just will it, I guess," she continued. "For example, if I wanted flurries to shoot out of my palm, I just think 'go,' and give it a push with my mind, and it just shoots out of my hand. Like I'm asking someone to do my bidding. Does that make any sense?"

Anna blinked. "Um. Yeah, that was clear as mud."

Elsa rolled her eyes and decided to ignore her sister in favor of the play, which was, if her memory served her right, about two-thirds through. The last third involved the courtship between Arngrim and the Goddess of Winter.

Frankly, she found Arngrim's story to be a little…boring. _No exciting battles? _she wondered, thinking about the other plays she had read while isolated. Stories of adventure, friendship, trust; of betrayal, battle, and intrigue. Arngrim had led a charmed life despite getting banished, since he gained the love of a goddess, established a kingdom, and was assured by the other gods that his line would remain unbroken for a hundred generations. Like what she told Anna, she doubted Arngrim even existed; surely his story was conjured up by another ambitious, arrogant ancestor. _Thank you, Bjorn the Bold. Your ego gave us a mildly entertaining play to see every Founder's Day. Anna was right about the title though. Pity._

After the accident with Anna, Elsa had pored over the castle's library over the possible source of her powers. She raked over her family tree, trying to figure out if someone before her had powers like hers, and had in the process became quite familiar with her family's history. Bjorn the Bold, for example, had been reportedly jealous of Weselton's and Buckland's family legends, and claimed that Arngrim came to him in a dream to tell him how the Arendahl line was established.

The scene onstage was the marriage between Arngrim and the Goddess. Sneaking a glance at her sister, Elsa noted how Anna's eyes sparkled at the lavish wedding ceremony unfolding before them. Following her gaze, Elsa saw that the actor portraying Arngrim was tall, broad-shouldered, and blond. _I bet she's imagining her own wedding to a certain blond ice harvester,_ she thought fondly. But as she did, the earlier pang she felt in her chest after Anna confessed what happened between her and Kristoff made itself known once again. It took Elsa a minute to figure out that what she felt was envy.

She didn't consider herself as a romantic like her sister, but that didn't mean she was immune to it. She did wonder what it felt like to be cherished by someone who wasn't family, but at the same time, the notion made her skittish. _I suppose it has something to do with the whole "giving yourself to your other half" thing—I mean, you wouldn't want to give the "you" that's full of flaws, right? You'd want to give your best self,_ she thought. _And right now, despite what Anna or my people might think, I'm far from perfect._

_Anna doesn't belong with me anymore,_ Elsa realized, observing the girl seated beside her before wrenching her gaze back to the play. _I lost that chance thirteen years ago, when we were so close. Sure, we've found each other again, but she belongs with Kristoff now. It's only a matter of time before they decide to get married. He's not royalty, but if Anna wants to be with him, I will do everything in my power to make it so. It's the least I can do for her. And if it hadn't been for him, I would have lost Anna completely._

She sighed ruefully and stole another glance at Anna, hoping she didn't hear her. Another truth came crashing down on Elsa as she watched Anna's smile grow dreamy when the actors onstage kissed to seal the wedding between Arngrim and the Goddess.

_I...don't want to be alone. I want to share my life with someone._

Who would want her—Elsa, not the Queen of Arendelle—though? The Queen of Arendelle, who was the ruler of a vast, prosperous kingdom with valuable resources, was quite a catch. If other nations are reluctant to trade with Arendelle, the promise of a possible marriage alliance might tempt them to think otherwise. But Elsa was another matter. Underneath the beautiful, glittering veneer of royalty and poise, Elsa was a broken woman, with a mass of anxieties that had her keeping people at a distance save for her sister, and a helping of otherworldly, sometimes unpredictable powers to boot. Much as Elsa wanted to deny it, she wanted to marry for love and wouldn't settle for less. Not after what she had seen with her parents' marriage, and Anna's experience with Hans and Kristoff. The man she would marry will have to shoulder some of her burdens, and while she would welcome the reprieve, she doubted that such a man existed. What man wanted a wife who was literally and figuratively cold?

Her powers were another concern of hers. If she married and had a child, what if her child inherited her powers? With what she had gone through in thirteen years, she would rather not produce a son or daughter, despite her deepest yearning to do so. As queen, her council had begun inquiring about the issue of her heir. She had managed to fend those off, stating that there were many things she needed to take care of.

"I understand your concerns, gentlemen," she had addressed her council. "But I will have to postpone that particular issue for another time. We have a more pressing matter to attend to: Weselton. We import most of our food from that duchy, and with the breakdown of our trade relations with them, we're hard-pressed to find a replacement."

"What about Corona, Your Majesty? We have good relations with them. The challenge is to offer them something that would pique their interest, since compared to Weselton, the logisitics of trade with them are a bit more complicated due to distance," Sir Georg, the Finance Minister, suggested.

"I will take that into consideration, Sir Georg. Thank you."

And so, a couple of months back, she began to quietly plan for the future. She had started looking into revising Arendelle's succession laws, which were rather straightforward—first-born direct descendant of Arngrim took precedence, no matter the gender, then his or her heirs, and so on.

Her musings ground to a halt when the curtain fell abruptly and the lights went out. Elsa was too far away to ascertain what was going on, but were there scuffling sounds from behind the curtain? Frowning, she leaned forward on her chair, gripping the armrests. "What's going on?" she asked. "Is the play over? Just like that?"

Anna was frowning too. "No, I don't think so," she said. Turning to Elsa, Anna shrugged. "Technical difficulties, I guess?" Murmur of confusion rose from the audience, and some of them started shouting to get the show back on track.

Then the curtains rose and the lights flared back to life briefly, then dimmed to reveal a giant of a man clad in black on center stage. He wore a grotesque half-mask. Squinting against the weak yellow light, Elsa racked her memories for such a character in Arngrim's story. Was there a giant involved?

"Descendants of Arngrim Arendahl," the figure intoned, his deep voice resonating throughout the open courtyard, "Know that I am the God of War and Chaos, and I stand before you and your people to tell you of what I had prophesied: you who come after the hundredth generation," the giant paused for effect, causing a hush to fall over the audience. Elsa felt her breath catch in her throat as the figure pointed straight at her and Anna, and she instinctively stood up to shield her sister.

"You will bring ruin to the world!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **Frozen is the property of Disney. I do not own anything except the original characters in this work of fanfiction.

* * *

**Chapter Five:** Generations

Most Arendellians consider themselves as practical folk. Life in Arendelle was simple because everybody knew their place. While the few suspicious ones thought it was strange that the castle gates were closed prior to Queen Elsa's ascension, most citizens only shrugged and went about their daily business. As long as their livelihoods were unaffected, justice was served, and things were peaceful, Arendellians could say that the royal family was beloved. King Agdar the Fourth was known as the Recluse King because he had closed the castle gates, but his reign was marked by peace and prosperity. Arendellians had believed that his daughter would continue his legacy.

Little did they know that everything they believed in had changed once Queen Elsa, first of that name, became their ruler almost a year ago. For one thing, the practical ones who thought that myths were something to help their children go to sleep began to wonder about magic. Some who were believers of the One God began experiencing a slight crisis of faith—did pagan gods really exist? Considering that the Founder's Day Play explicitly showed that the Arendahls are descended from the Goddess of Winter…did that mean the Snow Queen was the reincarnation of the Goddess?

And now, this supposed curse. With the Frozen Summer seven months ago, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to believe there is a curse upon the Arendahl family that would bring ruin to the world, would it?

"We're doomed!" someone shouted amid the confused murmurs.

"The Duke of Weselton was right, this land is cursed! The queen has cursed this land!" yelled another as the murmurs grew louder.

"What will we do?" a third one wailed over the din of the crowd.

Meanwhile, the figure remained standing, his arms folded across his chest, glaring at the queen from behind the mask. On the other hand, the queen remained rooted in her spot, her arms still outstretched to shield the princess, her pale skin turning positively ashen.

Anna had enough. She stood up and pushed Elsa out of the way, put two fingers into her mouth and emitted a piercing whistle that caught most of the crowd's attention. "Hey!" she screamed, uncaring at all if she sounded undignified. "Shut up and think! Do you seriously believe that guy? In case you haven't noticed, he called himself the God of War and Chaos! You're playing into his hands! He's just some actor!"

"That I am, Princess Anna," the figure responded. "I am but a vessel of the God of War and Chaos. My work here is done."

He barely finished speaking when the Queensguard swarmed the stage, surrounding the figure. "I don't care if you are a god, but you're under arrest for inciting public disorder!" Captain Schmidt barked. "Get him!"

A blinding flash erupted from the center of the stage as smoke poured out from the left and right sides, quickly obscuring everything. Elsa blinked to clear her vision and managed to snap out of the daze she had been in. She joined Anna, who was rubbing her eyes as she leaned against the guardrails of the makeshift balcony. "Dammit," Elsa muttered under her breath as she surveyed the thick blanket of smoke obscuring the pandemonium below. Making split-second decision, she laid a hand on Anna's shoulder and said, "Stay here."

"Wait, Elsa—where are you—hey! Don't go in there, are you crazy?"

She ignored Anna and pelted down the stairs of the makeshift balcony, grabbing a guard's arm along the way. "Have the rest of the castle guard calm the crowd down. Don't let anybody leave. We need to know who is behind this," she ordered tersely. With a smart salute, the guard ran off to do his queen's command.

Elsa recoiled when she reached the courtyard, a wall of smoke engulfing her. She covered her mouth with one hand and waved the other before her, trying to dispel the choking smoke. Wind, she thought, frowning in concentration and to block out the noise. Guards were shouting over the panicked cries of the crowd, ordering them to calm down. _I need wind to clear the smoke away._ She forced herself to relax by schooling her face into a blank mask, focusing instead on the need to protect her people. Clenching her fists, she raised her arms and waved them, uncurling her hands to create a blast of arctic air to banish the smoke.

_It's not enough,_ she realized with alarm as the smoke rolled back in place, the tide of fear rising within her. I need to get to be somewhere higher. _Come on, think! Where is the best place I can do this?_

"If you're going to do what I think you're going to do, you should have told me," an annoyed voice called out, interrupting Elsa's frantic thoughts. Whipping around, she saw Anna running toward her. "Come on, I know the best spot where you can do your thing." She grabbed Elsa's arm and tugged her toward the castle.

Nodding wordlessly, Elsa dashed after Anna into the castle, up the stairs, and into the room that had a balcony which provided the best vantage point of the courtyard. Anna threw the doors open and stepped back. "There. Now go do your thing and prove you're not cursed!"

"Thanks, Anna," Elsa replied a little breathlessly, flashing her sister a brief and grateful smile over her shoulder. Stepping out into the balcony, she closed her eyes to concentrate, furrowing her brow. Strong, arctic wind, she visualized as she breathed in deeply, slowly raising her arms over her head. The cacophony below faded away as she dug deep within herself, tapping into her well of emotions. _I'm doing this to protect my people. Please let me do this._

It wasn't an outright yes, but something stirred within Elsa, as if to reassure her that the power she commanded will do her bidding instead of go out of control as it had in the past. She heard Anna gasp behind her and knew that she was nearly done in calling forth the arctic winds—she could feel it swirling above her head and over the chaos below. She kept her arms in a parallel position over her head for another second—then, releasing the breath she held, she abruptly brought her palms down. The blast of arctic wind followed her movement, rushing down onto the crowd to dispel the thick, cloying smoke. She discerned she was successful when she heard the crowd below her gasp. Opening her eyes, she noted with a mixture of pride and chagrin that that while her control over her powers was getting better, what she had envisioned didn't quite go as planned. For one thing, she only wanted wind, not wind and snow. The people below her were unharmed, though covered with a light dusting of frost.

"That could have gone better," Elsa muttered. Even from afar, she could see the dazed expressions of the crowd. She tamped down the tide of shame and anxiety when she saw how badly some people were shivering from the snow and frost she had summoned.

"It's nothing a couple of hours warming up before the fireplace and some hot soup couldn't fix. You've got ice powers, not wind powers. You did the best you could," Anna tried to reassure her, patting her shoulder. From the corner of her eye, Elsa could see her sister clenching her jaw to keep it from chattering from the sudden cold, causing her spirits to sink lower.

Elsa sighed wearily, feeling older than her twenty-two years. "Come on. Damage control awaits us."

_Sometimes, I wish I just stayed up the North Mountain._

* * *

"Thank the One God that's over," Anna exclaimed, flopping on Elsa's bed face down. She twisted around so she can be on her back, splaying her arms out. "What was that all about?"

Elsa rubbed her throbbing right temple and squeezed her eyes shut, sitting on the bed as well. She sent a prayer of thanks that she had good people working for and with her. Mayor Thorvald, Kai, and Captain Schmidt had taken charge in restoring order and doing damage control after the incident. Before she left them to their work, she had told them that she wanted a full report as soon as possible, no matter what the hour.

"I don't know," Elsa answered Anna. "I can't think of a reason why someone would do that. Stir up trouble in Arendelle? What for? What has Arendelle done?"

"I'm sure it was Hans," Anna seethed, getting up to sit cross-legged. "Like, he escaped and paid goons to do his dirty work."

Elsa shot her a quizzical glance. "What do you mean?"

"Oh yeah, guess I never told you—I met the guy the Southern Isles sent to attend my ball tomorrow earlier today. Prince Lars. Eighth of the bunch. He told me Hans was stripped of his title and is under house arrest," Anna explained, scowling as she cracked her knuckles.

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "And you're not satisfied with that?"

"I don't know! I mean, it would be great if they sent back that jerk here so I can beat him black and blue, but that's not going to happen because, and I quote, we are hoping to rehabilitate him. That's what Lars said after he told me Hans was under house arrest. But I don't want him beheaded or anything, either. The question is, how do you rehabilitate a guy with a frozen heart?"

"With a lot of time and patience, I guess."

"Wait, what? You're not mad that that's only what they did to Hans?" Anna asked disbelievingly.

"I also think that punishment's rather light, but I don't want Hans's head on a platter either," Elsa agreed, folded her hands on her lap. "Look, Anna, forget Hans for now. At this point, all we can do is speculate."

"I sense a 'but' in there somewhere."

Elsa sighed, her face troubled. "I know I'm being silly," she began, grabbing a pillow to hug it to her chest and raised her eyes slowly to meet Anna's scrutiny, "but what if the curse was true?"

Anna blinked. "Wait, what? You, the fervent believer in logic and order, think that silly curse is true?"

"I just have this gut feeling that it might be true. And besides, is this—" Elsa shot a light flurry toward Anna's face—"logical? Logic dictates that humans shouldn't have ice powers, and I do." Her heart hammered against her chest like a caged bird as she recalled what the giant onstage said: "You who come after the hundredth generation will bring ruin to the world."

Because if she remembered her genealogy correctly, her father was the sole member of the hundredth generation of the Arendahl family.

_I have to know for sure._

A faint voice whispered within her, telling her to be careful, beware, and that she is about to face her greatest trial. Elsa shivered, opening and closing her hands to keep the telltale frost from forming. She didn't want to worry Anna. _Wonderful. I'm hearing voices now. Another thing to mark me as different from most people,_ she groaned inwardly, trying to shake off her anxiety. She told herself that it was just her old habit of being overly cautious rearing its ugly head.

She stood up and walked resolutely toward the door of her room, jostling Anna from her comfortable position on the bed. "Wha—Elsa, where are you going?" Anna asked. She paused and turned, her hand resting on the doorknob.

"Going to the library to check something. Care to join me?"

Anna scratched her cheek as she debated whether to join Elsa or not. "You're going to check if Papa's the hundredth generation, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Wait up, I'm coming with you." Anna scrambled off Elsa's bed and followed her out into the darkened hallway and down the stairs. The night seemed peaceful; it was hard to believe that some hours earlier the castle courtyard was the scene of absolute bedlam. As the sisters walked along the Hall of Portraits, Elsa glimpsed how the moonlight from the large windows cast eerie shadows on the paintings. She continued walking and stopped when she reached the last portrait—a painting of King Agdar the Fourth and Queen Idun. Anna joined her and twined her arm around Elsa's.

"Papa and Mama would be so proud of you, you know," she said softly, looking up at the painting of their parents.

"I'd like to think so."

"I know they do, wherever they are," Anna said. Elsa nodded and stared at the portrait for another minute, drawing strength from the sight of her mother's slight, reassuring smile. She took a deep breath to prepare herself for what she might find out—the library was just a few feet away from where they were now. Gently disentangling herself from her sister's hold, she walked the short distance toward the library door. She wiped her slightly clammy hands on her skirt before grasping the heavy brass handles of the library door to push it down. The door opened with a creak which sounded unnaturally loud in the stillness of the night.

"Spooky," Anna whispered, trailing behind Elsa as she strode toward the bookstand that held the tome containing her family tree. Grunting softly, she lifted the tome from where it rested and carried it toward the nearest desk, flipping it open to the first page. Of course, in proud, bold lettering, Arngrim's name was written at the very top of the family tree, and his wife was listed as Vetra, the Goddess of Winter. Elsa started when Anna rested her forearm on her shoulder to peer at the book.

"I thought you said Arngrim didn't exist?"

"Let me clarify: I said I DOUBTED the Arngrim as shown in the play existed. I think he really did, but his real origins had probably been obscured over the years," Elsa corrected. "I mean, one hundred generations…that's probably around three thousand years, assuming each generation was counted every thirty years. This book," she tapped the page she was on, "was compiled during Great-grandfather Mildor's time. By then, Bjorn the Bold had already perpetuated the myth that the Arendahl line was descended from Vetra."

"Interesting."

"Isn't it? Oh, darn it, you made me lose my place," Elsa grumbled. "Now I have to start over again."

"Sorry."

Anna sat quietly as Elsa began counting once more, with only the sound of rustling paper breaking the silence. The names swirled before Elsa as she ran her finger down the pages. With a pang in her heart, she remembered that day back when she was twelve years old, when her powers had become increasingly, alarmingly erratic—she had tearfully told her parents not to touch her for fear that she might harm them. She had spent the rest of the day at the library, feverishly researching about her ancestors to see if any one of them had abilities similar to her own.

The next day, Elsa had found herself slumped over the desk with a blanket draped over her. Her dedicated, frenzied first effort was proven to have been futile. But she had never given up—whenever she found herself with an unexpected block of free time nowadays, she would go over her family's histories, because what if she just missed something?

_Another trait of the Arendahls—stubborn,_ she contemplated wryly as her finger passed Kristoff the First. Amused at her discovery, she nudged Anna, whose eyelids were starting to droop.

"Hey, look at this—one of our ancestors is named after your sweetheart," Elsa said, tapping the spot where Kristoff the First's name was written. Anna immediately perked up.

"Where?" she demanded, pulling the tome toward her to get a better look. "Oh, there it is—wow, I'm going to show that to MY Kristoff tomorrow," Anna said, bouncing excitedly. "Say, do you know anything about that Kristoff?"

"His story probably isn't thrilling, I'm afraid," Elsa replied. "He ruled during a period of long prosperity. See here," she pointed at Kristoff the First's predecessor, "he followed the reign of his father, Johan Longbeard. Johan ruled for fifty years, which probably left Kristoff with not much time to establish some kind of legacy. Look, he only ruled for about ten years," she said, pointing at Kristoff the First's entry.

"Oh."

She chuckled at Anna's crestfallen expression. "That's the thing, our ancestors had ruled over a mostly peaceful land," Elsa explained. "There were a couple of skirmishes and wars here and there, but we're so far up north that we're not really that affected by what's going on with the rest of the Continent."

"R-right…" Anna stifled a yawn, nodding.

Elsa noted with concern at how tired Anna looked. "You don't have to stay with me the whole time, you know," she said softly. "If you're tired, go to sleep. I'll be fine."

"Nah, I'm good," Anna denied even though Elsa could see her stifling another yawn. Shaking her head at her sister's mulishness, she continued what she was doing. _Ninety-four, ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine…_ she counted to herself, feeling the sense of dread slowly heightening as the number climbed.

She stopped, her pulse pounding in her ears and frost creeping toward her fingertips. The name written for number ninety-nine was King Raimond the Second. Her father was next. Which meant…

"Elsa? Are you okay?" Anna asked, shaking her shoulder. "You don't…look so good."

She turned toward her sister, her eyes wide and fists clenched to hold the ice back. "Anna. Father was the hundredth generation," she said hollowly. "King Agdar the Fourth was the sole member of the hundredth generation of Arendahls. Which means…"

"We're the hundred and first generation," Anna finished slowly. Leaning over, she read the names below her father and mother's names. "Queen Elsa the First. Born Elsa Alexandra Juliana Arendahl on December 21, 1819. Princess Anna Maria Sofja Arendahl, born in June 21, 1822." She stared at their names for a moment before turning to Elsa.

"So what's the problem?" Elsa's pulse started to pound in her ears when she heard the placating tone Anna used.

She wanted to scream the words back to her sister. _What's the problem? The problem is, this is proof that I am cursed!_

But instead, Elsa bit her lip and forced herself to calm down, a habit born from years of concealing her feelings that she could not break. Anna was right. _What was the problem? Just because some disgruntled person decided to stir up trouble by saying something about a curse doesn't mean it will come true, won't it? I am just being paranoid. And why should I believe something with dubious origins? _She breathed in and out slowly, drawing her eyes back to the book.

Then, in the space of a few heartbeats, she was forced to consider an unwanted, niggling thought.

_Because you have never found any proof that had mentioned otherwise._

Elsa's neck prickled when she felt Anna's eyes on her, but she kept staring at the page blankly to calm her racing heart. She supposed the distress kept rolling off her in waves, because she heard Anna sigh and stand up to hug her. "You know, we should wait for Kai's report about the incident earlier today," Anna murmured, stroking Elsa's hair soothingly. "I'm sure it was just Hans and his goons. Don't worry about some stupid curse."

Elsa nodded numbly and let Anna pull her up to her feet. "Let's go to bed now, okay? It's my birthday ball tomorrow!" Anna chirped, clapping her hands excitedly, her mouth stretched into an excited grin. "Oh yeah, thanks for having Kristoff fitted out with a suit. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm sure he'll look really cute."

Elsa saw the anxiety lurking behind Anna's blue eyes and knew that the cheerful act was for her benefit. She tried to muster an answering smile at Anna's efforts. "You're welcome. Besides, I'm looking forward to seeing him squirm from wearing a suit. He's not used to formal wear, isn't he?" she smirked.

"You're so cruel to subject my beloved to such torture!" her sister wailed with a fake swoon.

"If he loves you, then I'm sure he'll endure a few hours in a stuffy suit. How are the dance lessons going, by the way?"

"Oh, I told him to surprise me. I'm pretty sure he'll be lumbering around the dance floor though. Have you seen him skate? He's hopeless. But you know, it's the effort that counts," Anna replied, waving a hand. "I'll probably need your ice powers to soothe my aching feet after he steps on them."

Elsa raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "There's no way I'll give you a foot massage," she refused flatly.

"Oh, come on. Please?"

"You know, you should have more faith in Kristoff. He might surprise you. Sweep you off your feet." Elsa held back her smile. Aside from the suit, she had also signed him up for dance lessons because she knew how much Anna loved to dance. Kristoff had surprisingly risen to the challenge, managing to master dancing the waltz gracefully. Unfortunately, that was the only thing he could master in time for Anna's birthday ball.

"Ha. Maybe. Let's see."

Elsa managed to forget her worries for a little while by bantering with her sister as they headed toward their rooms. But her anxieties came rushing back as she changed out her dress and into her nightgown. She had only begun accepting her powers, and now, some crackpot claimed she was cursed. _Stupid Duke of Weselton. Stupid Hans,_ she mentally grumbled. _Why am I even so worried about this? I told Anna that it's doubtful we're descended from a goddess. So why should I believe that curse? _she rationalized as she stepped out from behind the changing screen and walked toward her bed.

Flopping on her bed face down, she ignored the faint warning whispers, squeezing her eyes shut before twisting around to sleep on her side.

_You will face your greatest trial yet, Elsa Arendahl. Be prepared._

_Be prepared for what? _she wondered helplessly as she slipped into slumber despite her troubled and confused thoughts.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Frozen is the property of Disney. I do not own anything except the original characters in this work of fanfiction.

* * *

**Chapter Six:** Preparations

_June 21, early morning_

It was a well-known fact in the castle that Princess Anna was not a morning person. In all the years Gerda had served the royal family, she could count on one hand the number of times the princess was up before the queen.

This morning was one of those very rare instances. "Second time in eleven months. Isn't that something?" the head housekeeper murmured as she watched Anna burst out of her room to run helter-skelter toward Elsa's, skidding to a stop before the door. Despite having been crowned queen seven months ago, Elsa refused to move to the late king and queen's suite, saying she was more comfortable in the quarters she had occupied since she was eight years old. "There might come a time when Anna would have a better use for it," Elsa had elaborated further when Gerda asked her again a few weeks ago, giving the older woman a meaningful look as she closed the door of the king and queen's suite behind her.

It was then Gerda realized that Elsa had no intention of getting married. She wanted to protest her former charge's decision, but the resigned look on Elsa's face had brooked no argument. And so, despite memories of overhearing Elsa and Anna giggling over their respective Prince Charmings, the head housekeeper had bowed to the queen's wishes and saw to it that the room remained clean and well-maintained.

Back to the present, Gerda, with her arms laden with tablecloths for the princess's birthday ball later tonight, watched as Anna slowly opened the door. She must have felt the older woman's presence; putting a finger to her lips, Anna snuck inside and closed the door gently behind her. Gerda raised an eyebrow and let out a snort of laughter when she heard a startled yelp, frost shooting from the narrow space between the floor and the door, and boisterous giggling. She continued on her way, shaking her head fondly at the princess's antics.

_These halls have been quiet for far too long,_ she mused as she passed by the late king and queen's portrait. She stopped and looked up at the stoic visage of King Agdar. She couldn't help but feel both resentment and sympathy for the former king. _I suppose it wasn't easy, considering how you had your hands full with the trouble brewing between Weselton and Buckland on top of Queen Elsa's...condition,_ she thought. _I am happy to report that they are both recovering quite nicely from the ordeal they have gone through—your daughters are leaning on each other to deal with it._ She sighed and shifted the bundle in her arms, feeling a slight ache in her bones. _Rest assured that I am praying for both of them to continue having the happiness they should have had years ago, Your Majesty. The queen, most especially. I sense she is content, yet not completely happy._

Resisting the urge to curtsy—old habits died hard, and King Agdar was a man who commanded respect despite his quiet demeanor—Gerda continued on her way to the dining room, snapping at the idle maids by the table to get off their lazy bums and start working.

* * *

"Oh, come on, Elsa, don't such a grump. Today's a beautiful day!" Anna wheedled Elsa as they waited for breakfast to be served. "Look, I'm sorry if I disturbed your beauty sleep, okay? I'm just so excited because—"

"Today's your birthday ball. I know. You've been nattering about it for the past two weeks," Elsa interrupted around a huge yawn. "But Anna, you're not a little girl anymore, okay? Jumping on me to wake me up...I mean, today of all days should remind you of that," she admonished as a cup of coffee was placed by her left side and her breakfast before her. Elsa took her cup and breathed in a deep, appreciative sniff of the rich coffee aroma to wake her senses up. "You're nineteen years old now—you should act accordingly to your age and status as the pr-prin-princess of Aredelle," she continued with another wide yawn, which she covered with her mouth.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Well, aren't you in fine big sister and queen form today," she shot back sarcastically. "And what were you saying about acting accordingly to your status? Yawning in front of others can be quite rude," she said, adopting a snooty tone. Elsa darted a deadpan glance at her, pursing her lips.

The royal sisters of Arendelle, along with the Official Ice Master and Deliverer, were at the informal dining room where they usually ate breakfast before starting their respective days. For Elsa, it usually meant meetings with her council and assorted officials, signing documents, and drafting laws, while for Kristoff it either meant going to town to meet with the ice harvesters' guild or to prepare for a harvesting trip which would take three days to a week. For Anna, seeing how the two most important people in her life had things to keep them busy, had in the past couple of months kept herself busy as well. If she was not with Kristoff learning about the art of business and commerce, she was with Elsa, observing how her sister does her duties as queen. Surprisingly, she became fascinated at how trade agreements and negotiations worked, which had given her the confidence to spearhead the trade agreement with Corona when Elsa fell ill back in October.

Anna knew she had a long way to go before she mastered the subtleties of politics and diplomacy, and she thanked her lucky stars that her first assignment was Corona, which Arendelle had always been friendly with. If she had been tasked with the Southern Isles...well, if her encounter with Prince Lars was any indication, she might have been able to handle it. Just not gracefully as she did Corona, she supposed.

Elsa had not been vocal with her praise as the negotiations with Corona, whose delegation was headed by Lord Easterton, had drawn to a close, but Anna had glimpsed the pride in her sister's eyes as the trade agreement was informally finalized. Once the documents are signed on Tuesday, Anna would be able to say that her first trade agreement was a success.

However, Anna saw that Elsa's usually alert and clear blue eyes were dull and unfocused this morning, with telltale dark circles underneath. _I bet she worried over what happened at the play and what she found out at the library,_ she thought. _Oh no—what if—what if she cancels the ball? No, she wouldn't do that._ She glanced warily at Elsa, who was stirring some milk into her coffee. _Wouldn't hurt to ask, would it?_

"Hey Elsa," Anna ventured after a minute of silence, "you wouldn't cancel my birthday ball, would you?"

Elsa harrumphed. "I've got half a mind to, with what you just said," she grumbled, the corner of her mouth twitching in amusement at Anna's horrified expression. "Relax, Anna, I'm not going to cancel your ball, because one, I know you're going to plot regicide and fratricide if I did, and two, Arendelle will look bad." She paused to spread butter on her toast. "Captain Schmidt's going to tighten the security at your ball, so there's no need to worry," Elsa placated. But Anna could detect an undertone of anxiety in Elsa's voice, as if she was trying to convince herself.

Anna frowned, feeling a bit anxious herself. "Hey, if you think it's better to cancel the ball so people can be safe—"

"No," Elsa said firmly. "That's probably what whoever was responsible for last night is counting on. We're going ahead with your ball, Anna. We're going to enjoy it, and we're going to create happy memories about it. I refuse to be cowed," she declared, taking a sip of her coffee to drive her point home. After doing so, she glanced at Anna with a slight smile. "But thank you for offering to cancel the ball for that reason. I know how excited you are about it."

Anna waved a hand in dismissal, flushing from her sister's praise. "Ah, it's nothing. If you do decide to cancel later in the day...well, there's always next year, right?" Despite her words, she was inwardly relieved that the ball was pushing through. This was the first ball thrown in her honor, and she was determined that no weirdo in a mask would ruin it for her.

Kristoff, who was mostly silent during the exchange, decided to speak up. "I agree with you, Your Majesty—"

"Elsa," the sisters chorused. Kristoff grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Sorry. Can't help it. I mean, you said that this is your informal dining room, but it's still too fancy for the likes of me." He stopped, clearing his throat self-consciously as Elsa raised an eyebrow at him. Anna smiled at the sight of the two most important people in her life interacting more. The two of them were such introverts that sometimes she felt compelled to talk just to fill the silence. The ice isn't completely broken between them yet, but it's thawed enough, as far as she could discern.

"Anyway, yeah, I think you're right, Elsa. But how tight will security be? The masked guy seemed to know what he was doing—it's like he knew what security would be like," Kristoff pointed out.

Elsa nodded to acknowledge Kristoff's observation. "Captain Schmidt has assured me that he doubled the number of sentries for the ball. They're still trying to figure out who was responsible for last night though, and how he managed to pull it off." She took another sip of her coffee, frowning thoughtfully. "I think you're right to be concerned, Kristoff. However, if the Queensguard fail, I trust you're able to protect Anna."

Kristoff nodded gravely. "Of course. With my life."

"No need to go to those extremes, Kristoff, you're going to make me swoon," Anna smiled, fluttering her eyelashes and laying a hand on her chest as if to calm her racing heart (which had, in truth, beat faster at his words). "I mean, you've seen how I got Hans with my pretty mean right jab."

Kristoff leveled an impassive stare at her. "I know. I've been on the other end of that right jab a couple of times too," he said dryly. Anna scowled and delivered one on his solid upper arm. "Ow! There, did you see that, Elsa? See what I have to put up with?" he complained, rubbing the abused spot.

Elsa smirked. "Yes, well, you don't have to live with her, Kristoff. Remember how she woke me up this morning?"

"Oh, right. Yeah, you've got it worse, Elsa," Kristoff agreed, nodding.

"Hey, no fair ganging up on me! In case you've forgotten, it's my birthday, so you should be nice to me!" Anna pouted.

Kristoff reached over and patted her head condescendingly. "I'm sorry about that, Feistypants. Oh, and happy birthday." He kissed Anna's cheek with a loud smack before turning to Elsa. "Wanna continue talking about Anna over that corner so she wouldn't hear us?" he asked her.

Elsa nodded with all the gravitas she possessed as queen. "That may be the polite thing to do."

"You two are the worst. The absolute worst!"

Elsa laughed. "Oh, Anna, I'm sorry. It's just so easy needling you. And I didn't know Kristoff would be a good tag team partner, but I guess we work well together." She grinned at Kristoff, who gave her an answering smirk. "That was fun. Let's do it again sometime."

"You mean tag team Anna, Your Majesty?"

"Elsa."

"Right. Sorry, Your Majesty."

"Hey, how come you never call ME Your Highness, huh?"

"Because you're Feistypants."

"I hate you. Both of you." Anna mock-sulked on her chair like a child, sticking her lower lip out and crossing her arms over her chest. She pursed her lips to keep from bursting with laughter—she couldn't remember the last time a meal was so fun.

"Anyway, we'd better eat. I'd hate the breakfast Chef Leopold made for us go cold," Elsa said, raising her buttered toast to her mouth

Anna dug into her breakfast enthusiastically, unable to keep herself from smiling. _Like __I said, today's going to be a beautiful day,_ she thought with determination, punctuating it with a big bite of her toast. _No weirdo in a mask is going to ruin it for me._

"Anna. Manners," Elsa reminded, primly wiping her mouth with her napkin.

Anna rolled her eyes and held back from chugging her formerly hot chocolate to spite her older sister. It wouldn't do to annoy Elsa because she could still call off the ball.

* * *

Half an hour before the ball, Lord Easterton of Corona, or Max as he preferred to be called and a self-styled connoisseur of women, was making the final touches on his appearance. He turned his head left and right as he inspected his reflection on the mirror, wondering if he should slick his straight, thick black hair back with pomade or leave it as it is. He smoothed his hair back with both hands. "Too severe," he decided, letting go. He thought he looked rather rakishly handsome the way his fringe fell over his forehead and partially obscured his green eyes. A quick inspection of his jaw let him know there was no need to shave it. He smiled at himself in the mirror, wondering what might happen when he meets the queen again.

Max recalled his first glimpse and meeting the famed Snow Queen of Arendelle back in October. He had made a show of his usual easy confidence, but inside he was as nervous as a schoolboy in front of the headmaster. He had heard that Queen Elsa of Arendelle was an intimidating, reserved beauty. While he was an admirer of female pulchritude and quite familiar with how to deal with them, there were stories—wild stories—about her, like her freezing a man in place with just a look.

Literally, since she had the powers of winter.

But his opinion had changed once he got out of the carriage that took him to the castle. He had glanced up and a flash of platinum blonde hair caught his eye. Squinting, he saw a face pressed against the glass window, and while he wasn't able to get a clearer look at the face, he had been pretty sure that the owner of that striking blonde hair was none other than the Queen of Arendelle.

The bright head disappeared, and Max felt a twinge of disappointment. _A clearer look would've been nice,_ he thought, remaining rooted at his spot. He glanced around and felt bit foolish and uncertain as he debated on whether he should go on his way or wait for the queen to make another appearance. But his patience had paid off—his heart lifted when he glanced up and saw her by the window once more. He couldn't help but beam at her, angling his head in a slight bow, and had been rewarded with a startled glance and an awkward wave by the queen before she disappeared again. His interest piqued by the fleeting exchange, he followed the chamberlain into the castle with a spring in his step, eager to meet the queen. But his hopes were dashed when he was informed that Princess Anna awaited him at the Great Hall. He managed to hide his surprise and disappointment when he met the princess.

"I am sorry that the queen is unable to make it today," Princess Anna had said once introductions were made. "She's been feeling under the weather for the past few days, and had hoped she was well enough to meet you. Unfortunately, the Royal Physician had ordered her to a few more days of bed rest."

"I hope it's nothing serious," Max said.

"Flu, I'm afraid. She's been working so hard..." Princess Anna trailed off. "Anyway, I hope you're not disappointed since I know you were expecting to meet with her."

"On the contrary, Princess. While your presence was unexpected, it certainly is most welcome," Max flashed her a charming smile, which made the princess laugh.

"Well then, shall we begin our discussions, gentlemen?" Princess Anna began, taking her place at the head of the long table. Max girded himself for the long, boring discussion and haggling.

Later that day, he was pleasantly surprised at how productive the day had been. Princess Anna was far from boring or uninformed. She was witty and had made interesting and unorthodox points and opinions. For instance, when Herman, the Coronian Finance Minister, had expressed doubts on whether Corona was getting a fair deal, the princess pointed out the economic possibilities ice could bring.

"Your country's warm and has the best summer fruits in the Continent, right? Combine that with ice and the tourist season, which is, like, half the year in Corona...why, you've got quite the summer treat to look forward to. Tourists are happy, and the enterprising citizens of Corona too." Max's eyebrows shot up at the unusual idea, but it did get the wheels in his head turning. And when the negotiations got a little tense, she managed to diffuse it with a little joke or story that had both the Arendellian and Coronian parties chuckling.

"I'm glad we had reached an accord today, Lord Easterton. We will have the first draft of the agreement drawn up and ready in two weeks, and will have them sent immediately," Princess Anna said, smiling graciously at him as they walked toward the door. The Finance Ministers of both Corona and Arendelle had gotten up and were gathering their notes and papers, which signaled to the footman that the meeting was over. The footman opened the door and couldn't keep himself from yelping in surprise when, of all the people in the world, Queen Elsa stumbled into the room on her hands and knees. From the looks of things, she had been trying to eavesdrop. The princess gasped and bustled toward the queen.

"Elsa! What are you doing out of bed?" she admonished, helping the queen to her feet. Intrigued, Max took in the rest of her features—bright cerulean eyes, that beautiful platinum blonde hair, a fine nose, and lips that were drawn tight because of embarrassment. He guessed she had naturally pale, creamy skin, but because of what had just happened, it was flushed pink with embarrassment. And perhaps of fever, since Princess Anna had mentioned that Queen Elsa was ill with the flu.

"I..." the queen faltered. "I...ahh...ahh-ACHOO!"

Frost and arctic air erupted everywhere, turning everything white. Piles of snow was everywhere. It looked like a blizzard had hit.

_Yes, actually, a blizzard DID hit,_ Max thought, brushing the flakes of snow from his hair, his teeth chattering. He wanted to make a quip about that, but seeing the mortified look on the queen's face—her eyes were so wide it took up about half her face—he settled for the more benign, "Well, this is interesting. Are you alright, Your Majesty?"

"H-how did you know I'm the queen?" she asked faintly.

Anna cleared her throat. "Look around you, Elsa."

"Right. Of course." She took a deep breath to compose herself. "Lord Easterton, I presume? To answer your question, no, I'm not." She sighed and surveyed the damage before hanging her head in shame. "I extend my deepest apologies for interrupting your meeting, gentlemen, Princess Anna. I hope I didn't cause too much trouble."

Before Max knew it, he had reached out to grasp Queen Elsa's cool, pale hand. She was startled at the contact and blinked at him in surprise. Incongruously, the cerulean blue of the Snow Queen's eyes reminded him of Corona's warm seas, making him smile. "It is my pleasure to finally meet you, Your Majesty," he murmured, clicking his heels together and pressing a light kiss on her knuckles. When he straightened, he was gratified to see a light blush running across the bridge of the queen's nose. He cleared his throat. "I am happy to report that the meeting went very well. Princess Anna, together with Finance Minister Georg, has impressed me with what Arendelle has to offer Corona. It would be mutually beneficial for both of our countries to strengthen our trade partnership."

"I am very glad to hear that," Queen Elsa responded. "Well. I suppose there are still some things that need to be hammered out between Arendelle and Corona, though." She looked down and Max realized he still had her hand in his grasp. He let go immediately.

"Yes, there are," Princess Anna said. "Well, now that the meeting's over, why don't I show Lord Easterton around Arendelle? I'll go get Kristoff too—he'll know where to get the best ice to start things off with Corona. You're feeling better, right, Elsa? I hope you can join us for dinner," Princess Anna had suggested brightly.

"Uh. Sure."

"Great! Mayor Thorvald, kindly accompany Lord Easterton to the courtyard so we can show him around? I just need to talk to the Queen for a moment."

A loud knock at the door snapped Max out of his reverie. "Max!" Lars bellowed through the door. "Quit being such a dandy and let's go! We're going to be late!"

"Ah, go stuff your gob, Lars!" he bellowed back, grabbing his bright red sash from a nearby chair. "You military types," he griped when he opened the door, seeing a scowling Lars on the other side, who was dressed in his usual dark colors. "You think the world would end if you were a minute late. It's a party, Lars. It would be highly unfashionable if we were to arrive on time," he continued, tying his sash around his waist.

"Do I need to explain again why this party is important, Max? I want to make a good impression on Queen Elsa," Lars barreled on without waiting for Max to answer.

"Hmph. If you want Queen Elsa to have a good impression of you, you'd do best to straighten your waistcoat," Max said, gesturing at Lars.

"You're not fooling me with that act, Easterton. Let's go." Lars grabbed Max's arm and started to drag him out of his room.

"Unhand me, sir! You'll wrinkle my sleeve!" Max exclaimed indignantly, though his green eyes were dancing with amusement. His friend just gave him an exasperated look.

"So help me Max..."

* * *

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, you have half an hour before you have to open the ball," Gerda informed the sisters from behind the door of the dressing room.

"Yes, thank you, Gerda. We'll be there in ten minutes," Elsa called out, putting the finishing touches on Anna's makeup. Sensing Anna's desire for some bonding time with her, Elsa had dismissed the maids and told them they would dress and prepare themselves. That was one thing she was proud of about herself—that she was mostly self-sufficient. She had no choice though, since her father had reduced most of the staff by the time she was old enough to wear bodices and corsets.

_I may be self-sufficient, but I'm woefully naive about other things,_ Elsa thought ruefully, deciding not to apply rouge on Anna's cheeks. Her excitement for tonight had made her cheeks glow, and Elsa had always been a believer in the adage 'less is more'. "That should do it," she declared as she dabbed the corner of Anna's mouth to get rid of a lipstick smudge. "And before you ask me about the rouge, there's no need for it. Look." She turned Anna around by the shoulders toward the mirror. Anna raised her eyebrows and straightened up in surprise at how different she looked.

"I...wow, Elsa. You've really—I mean—is that me?" Anna asked incredulously. She grinned and met Elsa's gaze at the mirror. "You're, like, a master artist with makeup, Elsa. I look like..." she paused, searching for the right words. "A picture of sophisticated grace," she decided, toning her excited grin down into a slight smile to match her appearance. Her eyes were alight with amusement, as if she were recalling a private joke. Her expression, along with the dress Elsa had commissioned for her, really did make her look more mature. The ball gown Anna wore tonight was similar to the one she wore to Elsa's coronation, but it was a deep indigo and trimmed with lace at the sleeves. The dark color of the dress was a stark, dramatic contrast to Anna's copper locks and creamy skin. Instead of sweeping Anna's hair up, Elsa left it loose over her shoulders, tying some of it back in a bun to keep it from her face. Elsa hoped that the overall effect would make Anna the center of attention since today was her birthday.

"Well, make sure you act the part, then. I'd hate for my hard work to go down the drain," she said fondly. "Oh, I've got a couple more things to add, hold on." Elsa went to her room and retrieved a flat box from her drawer. "One more birthday gift," she said, handing the box to Anna, who raised an eyebrow.

"I bet it's a necklace," she joked, opening the box. Elsa managed to keep her smirk of satisfaction at the sight of Anna's jaw dropping in amazement.

"No way. A tiara?" Anna exclaimed, dumbfounded.

Elsa nodded. "It was Mama's, back when she was a princess," she said. "Mama really did intend it to be yours. It was supposed to have been given to you on your eighteenth birthday, but well...you know what happened." She cleared her throat, a little uncomfortable at bringing up painful memories. But Anna was oblivious and stood up to throw her arms around her sister.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Careful now. You wouldn't want to ruin your makeup," Elsa whispered back, feeling a little choked up herself. She felt Anna nod against her shoulder before she pulled back. "Let's put this on you, okay?"

Anna sat back down and kept still as Elsa fussed over the tiara. "Do you think Kristoff will like this?" she asked meekly.

"He'd have to be blind not to," Elsa answered reassuringly. "Trust me Anna, if he doesn't say anything, it's because he's speechless at how beautiful you look."

"If you say so."

"I know so." Elsa reached over to her left, where the necklace Anna wore for her coronation lay. "Do you know the story behind this necklace, Anna?" she asked, clasping it around her sister's neck.

"No. Tell me?"

Elsa opened her mouth but another knock interrupted her. "I'm sorry to bother you, Your Majesty, Your Highness, but it's been ten minutes already," Gerda said from behind the door. "Or do you need more time?"

"Two more minutes, Gerda," Elsa called back. "It'll have to be a story for next time, I guess," she said to Anna, who stood up. Elsa stepped back and inspected Anna once more before nodding her approval. "There. Now you really look like a picture of sophisticated grace."

Anna giggled. "Thanks, Elsa. Hey, you don't look too bad yourself," she teased, motioning at the dress Elsa wore. Elsa had opted for a simpler, understated ball gown. It was made of lavender silk, with long sleeves and a flared skirt to allow for dancing. She wore no jewelry save for a necklace identical to Anna's. She kept her hair simple as well, tying it back in her usual French braid, using a bit of frost to keep the unruly blonde locks swept back.

"Shall we?" Elsa invited, holding out the crook of her arm for Anna to loop hers through. Anna complied with a warm smile.

"Yes," she answered. The sisters each took a deep breath and walked to the door, separating with a giggle when they realized they couldn't fit through the doorway together.

"Hey, Elsa?" Anna said as they made their way downstairs to the ballroom, arm in arm.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you. For this. For everything. For being my sister. For being you."

Elsa didn't answer right away, savoring Anna's words. But she did once they reached the door of the ballroom.

"You're welcome."

The door opened, and Kai addressed the gathered crowd.

"Presenting Her Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, and her Highness, Princess Anna of Arendelle!"

* * *

"The place'll be crawling with guards. How're you going to pull it off?

"Relax. I've got it under control."

"How?"

"I have my ways."

"Just make sure it goes without a hitch. She'll have our hides if you fail."

"Me? Hey, you're in this too, you know."

"I know. I wouldn't be if the Prince Hans had succeeded in executing that damned witch."

"Yeah."

"Ready?"

"Ready."

"Good. Let's go. We've got a party to crash."

* * *

**Note:** I would like to credit HalmVendrella for the idea of Elsa not marrying. If you go back to Chapter Four, I added some additional material that would dovetail neatly with this idea. I hope it comes across as executed differently here, but all the same, the root of the idea came from her. Read her fics—it's on my favorites list, and are both highly recommended. And my other one too, titled _A Most Auspicious Engagement_. It's sort of slightly related to this one.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Frozen is the property of Disney. I do not own anything except the original characters in this work of fanfiction.

* * *

**Chapter Seven:** Of Waltzes and First Impressions

_Damn these things, _Kristoff grumbled inwardly, sticking a finger down his collar to try to loosen it. He was thankful the finery Elsa had commissioned for him didn't call for those obscenely tight-fitting trousers that didn't leave much to the imagination. Nonetheless, he still felt like a fraud dressed in a royal blue court uniform with epaulets and cream-colored pants, the medallion that signified his position as Arendelle's Official Ice Master and Deliverer hanging around his neck. _That's not even a thing,_ he snorted, fingering it nervously as he remembered saying it to Anna.

His toes pinched in the dress shoes that completed his ensemble. Oh, what he wouldn't give to slip into his good old boots, comfortable and well-worn. They've been to hell and back, him and those boots—he doubted the torture chambers he wore on his feet would last a day of ice harvesting.

Kristoff sighed. _What am I doing here? Oh, that's right, you're here for Anna. Tonight is the night you're going to show all these guys_—he glanced at the noblemen surrounding him—_that you're worthy to stand in the presence of Princess Anna. You're going to show them that you know how to use the correct fork if you're served a salad, that you can dance the waltz, that__—_

"Master Kristoff?"

The ice harvester's ears pricked at the sound of his name. He turned to the right, where the voice seemed to be coming from, and found Lord Easterton and Prince Lars standing a couple of feet away from where he was, which was near the dais where Anna and Elsa would make their first appearance. "My Lord, Your Highness," Kristoff greeted the two men when they joined him. It was nothing personal, but he couldn't bring himself to say 'good to see you here' when he barely knew them. Especially the prince. Why did Elsa even invite him, anyway? His brother tried to murder Anna, for crying out loud!

_Gotta be one of those things royals do that I__'__ll never get, _Kristoff mused, grabbing a glass of champagne from a passing servant. Lord Easterton and Prince Lars did the same, and the three of them took a sip from their respective glasses.

"So, how are you enjoying the party?" Lord Easterton said to fill the silence. "It's good to see a familiar face here—"

"Why, Max! Fancy running into you here," a woman materialized by his side, tapping his arm playfully with her fan. "What brings you here in Arendelle?"

"Lady Eunice," Lord Easterton acknowledged with a bow. "It's a pleasure to see you, and you're looking as lovely as the last time I saw you." At this, Lady Eunice tittered, fluttering her eyelashes at the earl. Kristoff managed to keep himself from rolling his eyes, and even though he couldn't see it, he was pretty sure Prince Lars had the same reaction at the display unfolding before them.

"You flatterer. Anyway, I'm glad I caught you. Come, Father will want to speak to you about something."

"Er...of course, my lady." He held out his arm, his green eyes frantically darting about for a possible escape. From the corner of his eye, Kristoff saw the prince smirk at his friend's predicament. "Shall we?" Lord Easterton said, too polite to refuse. He glanced back helplessly at Kristoff and Prince Lars, mouthing "save me" before the crowd blocked him from view.

Which left the ice master with the prince.

Kristoff coughed. "So, uh…" He was saved from making an inane statement when Kai made an announcement.

"Presenting Her Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, and Her Highness, Princess Anna of Arendelle!"

Kristoff turned to see Elsa and Anna making their way to the dais and felt his jaw drop open. Anna was…well, a vision. He was no good at describing dresses—he was a man, and men don't concern themselves with colors, fabric, and coiffure or whatever the hell hairstyles are called. But the girl—no, woman—on the dais was…she was…

He didn't know how did it, but he found himself standing before the princess, who had a faint, knowing half-smile on her face. She quirked her eyebrow ever so slightly, snapping Kristoff out of his daze.

"You…" he swallowed, his tongue feeling like it was stuck on the roof of his mouth, "you look…beautiful," he managed.

_Really? That's the best you can do? After all those manners lessons and bugging Kai for tips on small talk, that's it? Smooth, mountain man. Real smooth._

"Thank you," Anna murmured. At least his effort paid off—a light blush stained her cheeks, which made his heart kick double time against his ribs. He cleared his throat and blinked to marshal his courage.

"So, uh. Would you…" Kristoff flailed about mentally, searching for the right word. What was that Kai said? _Come on, think!_ His back stiffened with nervousness when Anna raised her eyebrows expectantly, still smiling.

"Are you asking me to dance, Kristoff?" she finally asked. Actually, the phrase he was looking for was "take a turn around the room" since it will buy him time to gather his scattered wits. But the die was cast once he nodded. Kristoff laughed sheepishly and held out his arm.

"Sorry. It's just…you left me speechless," he admitted. Now, he knew he should be playing it cool, but at this point his brain was fried from the shock of seeing Anna look so beautiful that he gave up all pretenses and wore his heart on his sleeve. Anna laughed at his honesty, the sound clear as a bell. "What's so funny?" he asked as they walked to the dance floor.

"I was just thinking Elsa can probably see the future," she said, placing her hand in his. "She said you'll be speechless. And she was right."

Kristoff's heart was finally calming down, giving him the mental acuity he needed to accomplish his task. _Please let it be a waltz,_ he prayed. It was the only dance he could pull off with sufficient grace. He couldn't even recall the names of the other dances he tried to learn. He could do them, but very clumsily. His dance instructor had lamented over his lack of grace, admonishing him over the way he stomped instead of gliding the steps.

_Yes! _he cheered inwardly when the opening strains of a waltz reached his ears. He felt a change going over him—he stood up straighter, his chest puffing up with confidence, and gave the woman—_my woman,_ he thought fiercely—in his arms a broad, self-assured smile.

And proceeded to sweep her off her feet with his dancing prowess.

* * *

About an hour later, the royal sisters of Arendelle stood on the dais while waiting for Kristoff to come back with some refreshment. Elsa had done her rounds, meeting with dignitaries and doing her part to be a good, dutiful hostess, but made her way back to the dais when she saw Anna there. "You were right," Anna said, laughing. "Kristoff told me was speechless when he first saw me. Do your powers include seeing the future? Or, like, are you a mind reader?"

Elsa shook her head, smiling at her sister's joy. "No, but I attribute my prediction of Kristoff's reaction to a very good guess. So what happened then?" she prompted.

"Well, so we started dancing, and I was feeling super nervous, because once we did, it's like Kristoff changed. I swear he transformed—it's like he became more handsome than he usually is," Anna said dreamily.

"Must be confidence," Elsa remarked. "You two did wonderfully on the dance floor. It was like watching a fairy tale."

"Really?"

But before Elsa could answer, Kristoff arrived with their drinks. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, I bring you refreshment," he said with a flourish, holding out two glasses of sparkling champagne. Anna giggled at his gallantry, taking one from him.

"Why, thank you, Master Kristoff. You were most kind to offer to do so," Elsa said, taking a sip from her glass.

The trio fell into companionable silence, watching the goings-on before them. But Anna, never one to be silent for long, spoke up.

"Whoa, I'm feeling a sense of déjà vu here," she remarked, scanning the crowd before taking another sip of her champagne.

"Well, at least you won't have to dance with the Duke of Weaseltown, right?" Elsa joked, flashing a crooked grin at Anna. Anna's response was a mock glare.

"Oh yeah, I haven't forgotten how you practically threw me to that—what did he call himself? A monkey with the face of a chicken?" she wondered.

Elsa pretended to consider it, tapping a finger against her chin. "I believe it was the other way around," she replied seriously.

"Whatever. Anyway, you're going to dance, okay? No way am I going to save you from that anymore," Anna said, finishing her drink. "Dancing is hard work."

"And here I thought you had my back."

"Dancing is the exception. You're on your own there, sis."

Kai appeared, interrupting the sisters' banter with a soft yet distinct 'ahem'. Elsa nodded at him with a slight smile.

"Yes, what is it, Kai?"

"Your Majesty, may I present Lord Easterton of Corona," he announced with a flourish, stepping aside to reveal the earl.

It was the first time Elsa had the opportunity to take a good, long look at him. He was about half a head shorter than Kristoff with a lean, athletic build, and he had straight black hair, glossy as a crow's wing. A fringe partially obscured those remarkably bright green eyes; strong, slightly tapered jaw and a straight nose rounded out his features. He cut an elegant, stylish figure as well, wearing a green royal uniform with bright gold buttons and a bold red sash. His trousers were light gray, and his black dress shoes were polished to a high sheen.

She had met him back in October when she was sick and was too embarrassed by what happened that she avoided him at all costs. Of course, there were unavoidable meetings, but years of isolation had enabled her to master looking at people without really seeing them. Anna had handled most of Arendelle's dealings with Corona—since she started the ball rolling between the two countries, Elsa had let her take the lead.

Anna's sharp, observant eyes didn't miss Elsa's reaction at meeting the earl for the first time. The Arendellian and Coronian parties had cleared the Great Hall, leaving her and Anna alone. Elsa shuffled her feet uncertainly and took a deep breath.

"Sorry for interrupting. I didn't mean to—I mean, I trust you can do it and I know you can, I was just so curious how you'd do it and—"

"Hey, relax! I'm not mad," Anna had reassured her. "I mean, sure, I'm a rambler, but I've watched you do stuff, so I just did what you did. Can't blame you for being nervous, because yeesh, that trade agreement was a doozy, let me tell you."

Elsa managed a smile. "Yeah, it was."

Anna wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, in sickness and in health, I'm the one you can rely on. I hope you know that."

Her heart warmed at the sentiment as Anna gave her a one-armed hug. "Now, about Lord Easterton…" she said slyly, grinning.

Elsa blushed and smacked her forehead. "Good grief, Anna," she admonished her sister, shaking her head. "I hope you don't get any ideas. I had only met the man!"

"Hey, I'm just saying he's cute, know what I mean?" Anna had waggled her eyebrows mischievously. "And I approve, just so you know."

"Yes, well, I don't."

Elsa held back a groan as she remembered how the rest of the exchange went. Anna had teased her mercilessly, until she couldn't take it anymore stomped back to her room in a huff. It took all her willpower not to ice her sister's mouth shut. She should have expected Lord Easterton's appearance at Anna's birthday ball.

"Try not to look too disappointed," Anna muttered under her breath, smiling broadly at Lord Easterton.

"I'm not," Elsa hissed back through gritted teeth. "My Lord," she smiled, trying to look inviting. "Thank you for coming."

"My pleasure, Your Majesty," Lord Easterton said, bowing. "My cousin Princess Rapunzel sends her regrets for being unable to attend your birthday ball, Princess Anna. She is currently on her eighth month of pregnancy. She does, however, wish you all the possible happiness on your birthday."

"Thank you!" Anna chirped. "Oh, and please extend my congratulations to Princess Rapunzel. You must be very excited about that."

"Yes we are," Lord Easterton agreed. A brief moment of awkward silence descended upon them, and the earl cleared his throat. "Um, well. I came to ask if I may dance with Your Majesty?" He bowed with a hand on his chest but raised his head to look at Elsa inquiringly.

"I—"

"She'd love to," Anna jumped in, giving Elsa a shove. "Another waltz is coming up—and Elsa loves to waltz!"

"Wh-what?" Elsa sputtered.

"Way to lay it on thick, Anna," Kristoff muttered. He grunted when Anna elbowed him, while Lord Easterton looked a little confused.

"You don't like the waltz?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"I didn't say that, I just mean…oh, never mind," Elsa replied, flustered. "Shall we?" The earl nodded and held out his arm for her to take. As he led her to the dance floor, Elsa threw a glare over her shoulder toward Anna. You sneaky little…I'm going to pay you back for that, she vowed as she faced Lord Easterton, schooling her face into what she hoped was a pleasant expression.

They took their places on the dance floor as the waltz started. Suddenly, everything felt too much for Elsa—the noise of conversation, the music, Lord Easterton's warm hand against her waist—and the old coldness started creeping in. She bit her lip and fell back to the old habit of concealing, not feeling. She felt her back and shoulders tensing and tried to force herself to relax.

Lord Easterton peered down at her. "Do I make you uncomfortable?" he asked, looking concerned. Elsa met his gaze—seeing how perceptive and worried it was, she decided to give him a frank answer.

She cleared her throat. "No," she admitted. "The problem is mine—I'm uncomfortable around crowds." Taking a deep breath, she nudged at him to start dancing. "Added to that are my powers. You've seen for yourself how it can go out of control."

Elsa didn't know why she was telling him this—she barely knew the earl. Was it because of the concern she saw in his eyes when she froze with anxiety?

"I see. Well…I don't know if this will be a comfort to you, but I'm not bothered by your magic," he said, twirling her around. "If anything, I find it fascinating." Elsa spun back to face him, raising a dubious eyebrow.

_Magic? Well, it certainly has a nicer ring to it than powers,_ she mused, waiting for him to continue. The word 'power' had an undercurrent of danger to it. 'Magic' also had the same connotation, but for her, it also meant wonder and excitement.

"I heard a lot of stories from your sister," Lord Easterton went on. "From what she told me, it's more of a gift than a curse. I mean, you can make snow—in July! How cool is that?" he said, grinning boyishly.

Elsa laughed softly at that. "Very punny, My Lord."

"Aw, wait until you hear me sing," he joked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. He had such a silly expression, a far cry from the polished courtier she met at the dais, that Elsa couldn't help herself from laughing out loud. People glanced at their direction, looking a little surprised that the austere Queen Elsa was laughing. From there, the queen and the earl settle into the rhythm of the waltz, letting him guide her movements even though he hummed the music horribly off-key. She found herself held close to him, out of breath, when the waltz finally ended.

They stared at each other for a moment before Lord Easterton stepped back. "Thank you for dancing with me, Your Majesty," he said, bowing.

"Corona and Arendelle are trade partners, Lord Easterton. No need to be that formal," Elsa assured him. "I enjoyed dancing with you as well. Thank you for revealing your wonderful talent in singing."

Lord Easterton smiled, and Elsa felt her heart skip a beat. "It would be my pleasure to do so again, Queen Elsa." He offered an arm out to her, and they make their way back to the dais. "I do have one request, though."

"Which is?"

"I hate 'Lord Easterton' with the hate of a thousand burning suns," he grimaced. "It's an exaggeration, I know, but that's how I feel about my title. Just call me Max anytime it's possible. If you have to follow protocol, then Lord Easterton it is, but for the sake of my sanity, please, just call me Max. Short for Maximilian, but that's just as bad as my title," he said as they reached the dais. Anna met her there with Kristoff.

"So," Anna ventured. "How was it?"

Elsa stepped on Anna's foot carefully because Maximilian—Max—was still within earshot. "I don't know what you mean," she whispered, keeping a placid expression on her face. "Oh, and by the way—prepare for revenge," she muttered as Max glanced back with a nod and a slight smile. Elsa responded back with her own, knowing that Anna was holding back from squealing out loud.

"Try not to have a heart attack from all that excitement," Elsa observed dryly. "It was just a waltz."

Anna smirked. "Ha. We'll see about that."

It took all of Elsa's willpower not to smack her forehead in exasperation. _It was just a waltz, Elsa._

_Just a waltz._

* * *

Jørgen and Ole made their way to the kitchen cellar to get another keg of red wine for the party. "Say, Ole," Jørgen began, scratching his ear idly. "I don't suppose we could nick a glass or two. This is good stuff we're passing up if we don't."

"Don't be stupid." Ole cuffed the kitchen boy. "I got 'cha this job so you can help your ailing mother. You ain't been here for three months and already you're thinkin' 'bout stirring up trouble."

"Aw, Ole, you buzzkill," Jørgen complained, rubbing his offended head.

"Don't 'cha 'aw Ole' me, boy. Now help me—" the footman was cut off when a dull 'twack' hit the back of his head, rendering him unconscious. Jørgen whirled around and gasped when he saw Ole sprawled on the ground.

"W-who's there! Show yourself! I know how to—ugh!" He joined Ole on the ground, his temple bleeding from the savage blow.

"Should we kill 'em?" a voice asked from the shadows.

"Nah," said another. "We're going to need their clothes, though."

"Right. We're pretty lucky they have our sizes."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** Frozen is the property of Disney. I do not own anything except the original characters in this work of fanfiction.

* * *

**Chapter Eight:** A Waltz With an Ambassador

Elsa pasted a smile on her face as she listened to a lord from from—well, she honestly couldn't remember, just that he was from one of the nearby principalities—drone on and on about—something. She normally had the presence of mind to listen to whoever was speaking to her no matter what the subject was, but tonight was different since she was out of her depth.

After all, it was only the second party she had been to ever since her fateful coronation.

She had to get out of here. But how?

Staring at the space between the nobleman's brows to give the impression she was paying attention to him, Elsa nodded at what she judged to be appropriate moments as she tried to formulate an excuse to step out into the balcony to sort out her thoughts and just *breathe*. She knew why Anna loved parties—because she was a people person and adored talking and socializing. But her? If she had her say, she'd rather be at the library to figure out the curse that masked man—that so-called God of Chaos—talked about.

And the whispers. Why did she suddenly hear voices in her head? Had she finally cracked and lost her mind? _No, not really, I think, but hearing voices in one's head is never a good sign,_ she mused with a bit of dark humor. Or did those have something to do with her powers? Thankfully, the voices had stayed quiet so far.

_Magic,_ she amended silently, remembering how Lord Easterton—Max—had referred to it.

The thought of the young earl made something twinge in her chest. She flicked a glance toward the dance floor, where he was currently dancing the polka with Anna. Her sister caught her eye and waved, which made Max glance and flash a smile at her. The twinge became a full-fledged thump against her ribs before she acknowledged them both with a slight nod.

"So, what do you think about my proposal, Your Majesty?" Lord-Who-Knows-What-His-Name-Was-and-Had-Her-Trapped-in-a-Dreadfully-Boring-Conversation-About-Something prompted, preventing her from wondering about her reaction to Max.

"While your proposal is interesting, my lord, my sister's birthday ball is hardly the place to discuss matters," Elsa deflected with what she hoped was a disarming smile. She was saved from saying more when the nobleman nodded and said that his wife was probably looking for him. She barely kept from heaving a sigh of relief when the lord turned and left.

"Rough night, huh?" a voice behind her asked, making her jump a bit. It was Kristoff, who was staring at something far off with narrowed eyes. Following his gaze, she saw that Max had engaged Anna in another dance, this time a lively galop. Even through the murmuring crowd Anna's laughter rang out as she and Max twirled and skipped as the dance dictated, which made Kristoff scowl a bit.

Elsa raised an eyebrow at him. "You know she loves you, right?" she asked pointedly, jarring Kristoff out of his mood. He blushed under Elsa's scrutiny and fiddled with the medal that that proclaimed his status as Arendelle's Ice Master and Deliverer. The poor man was at such a loss for words that Elsa decided to give him a break and laughed to relieve the tension. "Relax," she assured him, placing a hand lightly on his shoulder. "I won't have you beheaded for doubting my sister. That being said, I do hope you see that they're just dancing, yes?"

Kristoff nodded stiffly and glanced at Anna and Max again. "It's not that I doubt her," he mumbled. "It's just…I feel so out of place here if she's not here beside me." As if to underscore his point, he jammed a finger down his collar to loosen it a bit, blushing at his admission. "But if I hang around her, I'd probably make her look like a fool. I mean, what do I know about stuff that you nobles and royalty talk about?" He stiffened again, his eyes wide, remembering that he was talking to the queen of Arendelle. "I didn't mean—I—oh my God, I'm so sorry!" he apologized, waving his hands frantically.

Elsa shook her head. "I think I understand what you're feeling," she sympathized, looking over at the crowd. With a slight gesture, she beckoned Kristoff to bend closer to her. "I don't like parties very much myself, but here's how I survived tonight so far: smile, nod, and make agreeable noises when these nobles pause in between breaths. They wouldn't notice you're not listening because they're usually preoccupied with talking about themselves."

"Really?"

"Really."

Kristoff smiled and nodded. "Gotcha," he said, straightening up. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Elsa didn't bother telling him to call her by her birth name, figuring that in time, he'll feel comfortable enough around her to do so. She watched Max and Anna bow and curtsy to each other respectively when the galop ended and turned toward Kristoff just as Anna reached them.

"Whew, that was fun!" she exclaimed, fanning herself with one hand. She grinned up at Kristoff. "We've got to try that."

"Er...are you sure? I'll end up stepping on your toes."

Anna waved a hand dismissively. "You'll do fine, the steps are real easy!" Elsa chuckled, happy that her sister was enjoying herself.

"I'll leave you two to enjoy the party," she told them, starting toward the balcony nearby. "I think I need some air."

"Hey, Elsa?"

The note of concern in Anna's voice made her turn around. "Hmm?"

"You're not enjoying this much, are you?" Anna asked, her brow furrowed. Elsa blew out a breath and reached out to smooth the frown off her sister's brow with her two of her fingers.

"Don't worry about me," she reassured Anna. "This is your night. Go and mingle. Impress them with your sparkling wit and show them that you're a picture of sophisticated grace."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Positive. I just need to be by myself for a bit. I'll be back shortly. Kristoff," she turned toward him, "if it's possible, save me a dance, will you?"

"Are you sure? The waltz is the only dance I can do well. I might step on you," he warned.

"I heard you can do a passable enough polka. My toes will survive if you're worried about them. Save that for me, will you?" Elsa requested with a smile. She left the pair to make her way toward the balcony, but the sound of Anna's urging Kristoff to dance had her turn around when she reached the archway at the edge of the ballroom. She saw Anna drag Kristoff to the dance floor, taking in how Anna's face lit up as Kristoff laid a hand over her waist and started dancing. Despite how he was nowhere near as polished in his movements as most of the others in attendance—ungainly and perfunctory, a bear among princes—evidently, didn't matter to Anna. Hearing her sister's faint ring of laughter, Elsa smiled wistfully and ducked out to the balcony, letting out a sigh of relief that she was finally away from the crowd.

Her relief was short-lived, however. She didn't notice she was not alone in the balcony, bumping into someone just as she was coming in, and the other person exiting.

"What the—" a deep voice grunted.

"Oof!" Elsa exclaimed.

The man and Elsa stepped away from each other. An apology came rushing out of her mouth, but it died halfway when she got a closer look at the person she bumped into.

Prince Lars of the Southern Isles.

She knew it was him based on how Anna had described him. Even if she didn't tell Elsa about him, the red hair would have given him away—the princes of the Southern Isles were known for that.

Her hands balled into fists when she stepped back, alarm and defensiveness causing frost to form on them. The prince noticed her distress and spoke.

"I wasn't expecting company, Your Majesty. My apologies for startling you." He bowed. "Prince Lars of the Southern Isles," he introduced himself.

Elsa didn't respond immediately, examining him. As Anna had described, Prince Lars was broader compared to Hans's slimmer figure, but he was not as burly as Kristoff. He had a serious demeanor with a grim set to his mouth as opposed to his brother's easy charm. Remembering her manners, Elsa cleared her throat and squared her shoulders.

"It's all right. No harm done," she assured him, keeping her tone and expression neutral. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Lars."

Lars chuckled, but it was not a happy sound. "I'm not too sure about that," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I was hoping to leave this off until later tonight under friendlier circumstances, but I suppose there's no time like the present." He paused, his jaw tightening before bowing his head contritely.

"I am sorry for my brother Hans's behavior. I assure you that he has been punished accordingly." He grimaced. "And that sounded as if he just ran you over with is horse accidentally. I do hope Your Majesty understands the point I'm getting at."

Elsa didn't respond, pointedly waiting for him to continue. Lars cleared his throat and touched his cravat, a gesture not lost on her. _He's nervous,_ she noted, keeping her face impassive. She raised her eyebrow minutely to prompt him to continue.

"I…suppose Princess Anna had told you that Hans has been stripped of his title and is under house arrest back at the Southern Isles," he ventured.

"She did, yes."

Another awkward silence descended between them. Elsa wanted to leave—she didn't escape from a stressful situation back in the ballroom only to be thrown into another one. Lars sighed and muttered something under his breath, prompting her to shoot him a sharp look.

"I beg your pardon, sir?" Though delivered politely, she made sure to inject the right amount of frostiness in her tone. She wasn't about to make things easy for this man, blameless though he may be for his brother's actions. The prince coughed into his fist, uncomfortable.

"As you may have noticed, I'm not good with words. That's the worst possible thing an ambassador should be, and I'm wondering why my brothers sent me. I'm bound to make a mess of things. And perhaps I just did."

She was taken a little aback at his candor. He was right—this kind of plain-spokenness was untoward for an ambassador. As such, she decided to take pity at him and softened her stance. "I think I understand why," she replied. "From what you've shown me so far, you are Hans's complete opposite. I suppose your brothers are hoping I would see that."

The prince shook his head ruefully. "Ah, Thomas, you sly bastard." He stopped and glanced at her, perhaps remembering she was there. "Er…apologies again, Your Majesty. I was referring to my third brother Thomas. He was the one who nominated me to attend your ball and to be the Southern Isles's ambassador to Arendelle. And I agreed to do so, because my brother's actions were my fault."

Elsa's interest was piqued. "Oh?" She waited to hear what he was going to say next as he cleared his throat again. _What were they thinking, sending this man to represent their country? Did they think I'll be disarmed by his show of bumbling honesty?_ She smiled thinly, waiting for his response.

"I failed Hans, Queen Elsa. Had I not treated him as such, he would not have done what he did."

"And what did you do to make him turn out the way he did?"

"Each of us shut him out, one way or the other. I bear the most responsibility for that, since I am his oldest full brother," he admitted. Elsa watched him closely, looking for signs that he was merely putting on a show, but despite her misgivings, her instincts were telling her otherwise.

"I am far from perfect, Your Majesty, and as a boy, I was horrible," he continued. "The worst thing I have done to him was pretending he was invisible for two years. Damned fool that I was, I thought it was hilarious. I ignored his repeated claims that he'll become the greatest of us all, dismissing it as a foolish notion. Had I known it would cause a rift between our countries later on…" the prince shook his head. "If I can travel back in time, I'd give my younger self a sound thrashing."

His admission gave Elsa pause. After all, she did the same thing to Anna, shutting her out for thirteen years. I suppose that's why Hans was able to draw her in—they had the same experience. She bit her lip and walked toward the railing of the balcony, resting her hands on it. Prince Lars followed but kept a respectful distance, waiting for her to speak.

_Anna kept trying to reach me even though I did everything I could to keep my distance. But looking back, I think she was close to giving up the night she accepted Hans's marriage proposal. I'm so glad she didn't, because who knows how else Hans could have hurt her? She would have been manipulated to end by that…that…_

"Er…Your Majesty?" Prince Lars's hesitant question broke through her brooding, which made her notice how the temperature around them had dropped significantly and how hard she gripped the railing, frost forming around her hands. Elsa took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down and think what she will say to him.

"Our actions, no matter how simple, always have consequences," she began after a pause. "I learned that the hard way when I let my powers loose during my coronation. And before that, as a young girl. In between that period, I also did to my sister what you did to your brother, Prince Lars. I count myself lucky that Anna followed a different path."

She wasn't sure why she was telling him this—after all, he could be as much a liar as Hans was. They were brothers, and Hans was able to manipulate her back then. But at least this time the situation was not as…stressful as it had been with Hans. Perhaps it was because he understood her regrets? She chastised herself for being so transparent. Shaking it off, she continued speaking, turning toward him.

"The Southern Isles is forgiven. However, I will tell you that it will take a while before my faith in your country is completely restored. While you and I have done the similar things to our younger siblings, I did so to protect her from myself." She paused for a moment, unsure if she should continue, then forged on. "I do appreciate your honesty, Prince Lars. You can be assured that that has merit in my eyes."

_Yes, but be careful. You'll never know,_ she warned herself.

Lars smiled slightly, softening the grim lines around his mouth, before settling back to his serious mien. "What must I do to make complete amends, Your Majesty?"

Elsa gave him a long, measuring look. She had no idea what he can do to earn her—and essentially, Arendelle's—complete forgiveness. To his credit, he looked contrite without resorting to groveling or sniveling. _But Hans tried to hurt me and Anna,_ she rationalized. It was something most people would find very hard to pardon, and she didn't consider herself a very forgiving person when her sister was involved. But the ball, besides celebrating Anna's birthday, was held to foster goodwill. _I'll have to remember that, regardless of my true feelings,_ she reminded herself.

The faint sound of laughter and music wafted through the balcony, reminding her that she had duties to attend to as the queen. An idea formed in her head, and she steeled herself before giving it voice. It wasn't something she relished, but considering one of the ball's objectives, it was probably the best thing to do, even if it wasn't something conventionally done.

"You can start by dancing with me, Prince Lars. I believe a waltz is coming up."

He looked stunned. _He probably expected me to say I wanted him to slay a dragon,_ Elsa thought with mild amusement. From the way his astonished expression turned into a slightly pained one, he would have rather done that than dance. "You don't look too enthused by the prospect," she observed, arching an eyebrow.

"I…of course I am honored to dance the waltz with you, Your Majesty." He held out his arm.

"Could have fooled me." She couldn't resist needling him one more time.

"Yes, well," he said as they walked back into the ballroom and onto the dance floor. "I was expecting you'd ask me to go on a wild goose chase to kill some kind of mythical creature. That's something I'm much better at than dancing."

"Oh? Why do you say so? Are you into hunting, then?" she asked as they took their positions. The first notes of a waltz began to play, and they began to dance.

"No, but I was a soldier before I was assigned the ambassadorship. I'm not much for…this," he gestured with head, referring to the party.

"I see. Well...I'll try to think of a suitable quest for you, then." It was a lame joke, Elsa knew, but the man seemed even more uncomfortable than she was toward parties that she couldn't resist doing so. But now that she thought about it, asking a prince from a country that had done a grievous wrong against her and her sister to dance with her seemed illogical. Granted, she had given his country her forgiveness (though not her trust), but etiquette demanded that Prince Lars should have asked her first instead of the other way around.

_Then again, he never had a chance to get in a word edgewise, didn't he? You just had to go and ask him. Oh well, what's done is done._

She was still stewing on it despite her resolve to let it go as they danced. Dancing with him was not as unpleasant as she had initially thought. He was surprisingly graceful on his feet for a strapping, soldierly man. However, after she had cracked the joke, not one word had been exchanged between them, which made dancing with him feel awkwardly long. Elsa held back a sigh of relief when the band ended the waltz with a flourish, clapping her hands along with the other dancers, and allowed herself to be escorted off the dance floor by the prince. She had opened her mouth to excuse herself when an exuberant voice called Prince Lars's name out.

"Lars! There you are, where had you disappeared off to, old man?"

Lars rolled his eyes. "I'm only two years older than you, Max," he retorted. "And I'm perfectly fine at parties." He turned to Elsa. "Forgive this hooligan for the racket, Your Majesty."

"So, what, you're like, thirty now?" Max grinned.

"Twenty-eight, Max. I'm only twenty-eight."

"Why, that's positively ancient!"

The prince shook his head in exasperation while Elsa watched the exchange between them, amused. "Max," Lars said with a long-suffering sigh, "we're in the presence of the queen of Arendelle. Where are your manners?"

"I stand corrected. You're not an old hermit, you're an old lady." Max directed his bright smile at Elsa. "Good evening, Queen Elsa. Glad to see you've met Lars. He's a right ray of sunshine, isn't he?"

Elsa wasn't sure how to respond to that, so she merely smiled politely and nodded, accepting a glass of champagne from a passing server. She was surprised to learn that these two men know each other and are apparently good friends. Max, with his sunny disposition and easy charm, and Lars, with his serious mien and blunt honesty. They were so different from each other.

"I knew Lars from university," Max went on. "We both went to good old Kirstenburg, but Lars here was a couple of years ahead of me, so we really didn't have a chance to talk much. Got to know him well serving under the king of Buckland though, a couple of years later." The light in Max's eyes dimmed briefly, as if he recalled a dark memory. "If it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't be standing here now."

Lars snorted to downplay what Max said. "Because you were such a runty idiot back then, I had to whip you into shape."

"And for that, you have my eternal gratitude, my friend," Max replied with a slight smile. Lars shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes, well. That was then, this is now. Let's not dwell on things past."

"Excuse me, Your Majesty." Kai sidled up beside Elsa. "It's ten minutes to midnight. Everything is ready and waiting for your signal," he murmured under his breath. She glanced at her trusted chamberlain and nodded.

"Thank you, Kai," she responded. Turning toward Lars and Max, she cleared her throat to get their attention. "If you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I need to find my sister. We're about to close the ball. But if you'll step outside to the castle courtyard, we've prepared a fireworks display for the guests. I hope both you of you have enjoyed yourselves tonight."

"Yes we have, Your Majesty. Thank you for inviting us to Princess Anna's birthday ball," Max replied with a bow. Lars followed suit, saying his thanks as well.

Pleasantries over and done with, Elsa left the pair so she and Anna could end the night. _Then I can get the peace and quiet I've been craving for._

* * *

"Did you—?"

"Yes. It should take effect in an hour or less."

"How much did you put in?"

"I don't know, I just put in the whole lot given to me. Does it matter?"

"Probably not. Come on, we'd better make ourselves scarce."


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** Frozen is the property of Disney. I do not own anything except the original characters in this work of fanfiction.

* * *

**Chapter Nine:** Fireworks

"And one, and two, and three, and four, and keep your eyes on me," Anna instructed, her intonation following the sprightly rhythm of the polka. "Good, you're getting the hang of it," she encouraged Kristoff, valiantly staving off a pained grimace when he came down on her foot.

Hard.

Kristoff stopped and opened his mouth to apologize, but Anna cut him off before he could do so, nudging him to keep on dancing. Huffing at her persistence, he started again, this time following her advice and keeping his eyes on hers.

"That's it," she murmured with a slight smile. "You're doing really great, Kristoff."

He returned her smile with a shyly proud grin of his own. "Only because you're my teacher."

They continued dancing in silence, him furrowing his brow to concentrate on the steps while maintaining eye contact with her. Anna willed herself not to look away—it was the longest she had ever held his stare, and she guessed he was using her gaze as a lifeline while on the dance floor. He danced perfunctorily, leading her around as if she were a wheelbarrow, but she didn't mind it one bit. She was dancing with her reindeer king, and she loved every minute of it even if she would inevitably end up limping tomorrow.

_It__'__ll be worth it,_ she told herself when the music stopped. Anna resisted the urge to throw her arms over his (wonderfully broad) shoulders to kiss him full on the lips for indulging her request to dance. Instead, she rose on her toes to whisper a breathy "thank you" in his ear and dashing off a quick, discreet kiss on his cheek. Satisfaction surged through her when Kristoff stiffened as her lips touched his skin.

He cleared his throat, blushing furiously. "Like I said, only because you're my teacher," he mumbled, taking her hands in his. Everything seemed to fade away as they got lost in each other's eyes—

"Ahem. Anna?"

Anna snapped out of her daze and spun around to face Elsa, who regarded them with a slightly apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry to interrupt," she began, "but it's close to midnight. It's time to close the ball."

"Already?" Anna couldn't help but whine a bit. "Couldn't we extend it a bit longer? An hour, maybe? Please?" she wheedled.

Elsa shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't, Anna. We have to stick to the schedule. An additional hour could—"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Anna capitulated with a pout. "Sheesh, you take things so seriously," she groused before her quick eyes caught the flash of hurt that passed over Elsa's eyes as it settled into calmness—and it wasn't the good kind of calm either. She winced inwardly at her insensitivity. "Wait, Elsa, don't do that. Please. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be such a brat," Anna apologized, reaching for her sister's hands. "It's just…I don't want the night to end. I really enjoyed the party you held for me, Elsa, and I can't thank you enough. This is one of the best nights of my life. I'm so glad to have shared it with the people I love the most in the world," she said sincerely, squeezing Elsa's hands and glancing at Kristoff."So…am I forgiven?" Anna asked with a cajoling grin, raising her eyebrows.

Her older sister stared back at her gravely before she sighed. "Fine," Elsa grumbled with a put-upon sigh, rolling her eyes. Anna laughed and wrapped her arm around Elsa's waist to give her a one-armed hug, causing the latter to smile slightly. She didn't miss the way Elsa stiffened at the contact though, which stung a bit. _Be patient. She hasn__'__t done this for more than half her life,_ Anna reminded herself. Resentment flared up in her chest when she thought about just how messed up her parents' solution was to Elsa's powers, but she pushed it aside quickly, deciding this was not the time to ruminate about it.

"Well, let's go close this wonderful night you've given me, sis," Anna declared, looping her arm through Elsa's.

Her older sister kept her gaze trained straight ahead to avoid hers. "You're going to do the closing speech."

Anna blinked. "Wait, what?"

* * *

_June 22nd, midnight_

"I'm going to make this short and sweet, because I'm excited about what we have in store for you," Anna began her (impromptu) closing speech, standing on the stage where the play was held yesterday. Any damage left by yesterday's events was cleaned up, leaving no evidence of what happened. Servants milled among the guests, offering them the last of the refreshments for the evening. Elsa tried to keep her hands relaxed and folded before her as she breathed an inward sigh of relief that the night was about to end.

She couldn't wait to retreat to her room to listen to the sound of blessed, blessed silence. _Which makes me wonder__—__again__—__if I just got too used to the silence,_ she thought, belatedly realizing that she was wringing her hands again. She forced herself to relax and listen to Anna's speech.

"Anyway, I would like to thank you all for attending the birthday ball my sister, Queen Elsa, had held for me," she continued, flashing a crooked grin toward Elsa, who stood beside her and returned it with a slight one of her own. "What do you say we do this again for your birthday? It's going to be—"

"I would like to propose a toast," Elsa interrupted without missing a beat, ignoring Anna who was grinning unrepentantly. "To my sister, who stood by me no matter what." She paused, swallowing the lump that suddenly formed in her throat. Anna's mischievous grin softened into an understanding smile; Elsa deduced her sister knew what she meant.

_Even at the cost of her own life_, the rest of her unspoken sentence went.

"Hear, hear!" Kristoff exclaimed, raising his champagne glass. "To Princess Anna!" Elsa shot him a grateful look that he didn't miss, acknowledging it with a slight nod, as the crowd followed his lead. Anna was the person that bound them together, after all. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the two exchange smitten looks, prompting her to elbow her sister discreetly. Anna started and mouthed "what?" to which Elsa responded with a raised eyebrow. Thankfully, Anna seemed to get the hint and raised her hands to address the crowd.

"Thank you! Now, I promised I had something in store for you, right? I hope you all enjoy the fireworks display we have prepared for you! Join me in countdown, everybody!" Anna grinned.

"Ten…nine!"

Elsa counted along Anna, but her thoughts were somewhere else. _Anna lives for this sort of thing. She__'__ll probably make a better queen than I ever will. She certainly has the people skills to pull it off._

"Eight…seven!"

_She also has the better chance to continue our family line, though she and Kristoff might meet strong opposition at first,_ Elsa mused, unable to shake the image of Kristoff looking at Anna so…

She couldn't even bring herself to think of the word.

"Six…five…"

_I__'__m going to have to revise the laws further. Research on how to elevate Kristoff__'__s status so he__'__ll have the means to marry Anna._

"Four…three!"

_She__'__ll be my heir. _Elsa swallowed and frowned slightly as she felt a strange tingling sensation at the back of her head.

"Two…!"

_And I__'__ll die alone._

"One!"

A whistling sound pierced the air, and then, with a loud boom, fireworks burst into the sky. The noise overpowered the sounds the guests made, but Elsa could see on their faces how delighted they were by the display. By then Kristoff had already joined Anna, and they stood together with their arms wrapped around each other's waists. Anna flicked an inviting glance at her, but she shook her head slightly, standing about a foot away from the couple.

She couldn't bring herself to join them despite Anna's invitation. _I know they__'__ll welcome me, but I would just feel out of place if I did__—__imagine, the queen, a third wheel,_ she thought, morose. Once again she was forcibly reminded of her decision not to marry despite her desire to share her life with someone. But logically, she knew she wasn't ready for that kind of relationship. She was only starting to rebuild her relationship with her sister, and it was fraught with fits and starts.

Who knew when she would be ready?

_I have opened my heart to love, yes__…__but I feel a part of it will always remain shuttered. How can I open my heart completely, if I can__'__t let go of that lingering concern that I am cold__—__figuratively and literally?_ Elsa rubbed her forearm, knowing that her skin was cooler to the touch compared to normal people. Her palms were clammy for some reason, though.

Elsa shook her head and clenched her jaw resolutely. _No. You__'__ve brooded about this long enough yesterday, during the play. Just enjoy this moment. Forget everything that worries you._

Her gaze wandered over to Lars and Max, who were among the crowd watching the fireworks. Observing him as he elbowed the taciturn Lars, Elsa pondered on her reactions to him earlier. _He seems perfect, almost like Hans,_ she thought. _He__'__s been nothing but kind and charming, and earlier he made me laugh and comfortable about myself. He didn__'__t flinch at all when we danced. And he__'__s__—_

Elsa refused to think about how Max's green eyes glinted with mischief underneath his bangs. And how his dimples flashed when he smiled at her, releasing butterflies in her stomach.

She's never had butterflies in her stomach. Ever. Now, a pit of dread—that's what she's familiar with.

_Stop it,_ she admonished herself. _You__'__re just flattered by the attention Max gave you. You__'__ve hidden yourself away for so long, you__'__re just as starved for attention as Anna. You just hide it very well. He__'__s the only man under the age of fifty that isn__'__t nervous around you._

_Well, him and Lars, _she amended, regarding the prince, who responded with a slight smile at something the earl said. While Max had made her laugh, Lars seemed to understand the guilt she carried about how she treated Anna, which made him a kindred spirit of sorts. _I shouldn__'__t trust him. He__'__s from the Southern Isles, for God__'__s sake. That should automatically make him untrustworthy, despite what I told him earlier. He should know that was just for show._

Despite her misgivings toward the ambassador prince, her instincts were telling her that he was an honest sort.

One thing both of them did to her though, was make her painfully aware of how confused she was about how she felt. She thought she would be satisfied with her decision not to marry. But after learning that Anna's relationship with Kristoff had progressed further, and seeing how they had acted together…she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have someone.

_And so, jealousy rears its ugly green head,_ she sighed, rubbing her forehead.

Elsa blinked in consternation. _Why does everything look hazy? _she wondered. Looking up, she saw the colors of the fireworks bleeding into swirls of colors, indistinguishable, as if several paints were mixed together. She furrowed her brow to bring her eyes back into focus, feeling a bead of sweat run down her temple down to her neck.

_Am I__…__is it getting hot in here?_ A vague sense of unease trickled down her spine. Was she coming down with another bad case of the flu?

_No, this isn__'__t__…__flu isn__'__t supposed to feel like this,_ she thought, shaking her head to clear away the sudden dizziness, but it only made things worse—now she felt a wave of nausea crash over her, prompting her to grope for Anna's shoulder blindly, her other hand clutching her forehead.

"Elsa, what—oh no. Elsa? Elsa, are you okay?" Anna's panicked voice seemed to be coming from far away.

_It__'__s__…__it__'__s getting harder to breathe,_ she realized, gulping for air as her throat constricted. Her tongue felt too large in her mouth. With much effort, Elsa raised her head to meet Anna's stricken blue eyes.

_Blue__…__like the summer sky,_ she thought idly.

It was her last thought before everything went black.

* * *

"Looks like we've done our job."

"Yep. Should be easy enough to get out of here with all that racket going on."

"Try to look less suspicious."

"Ha. You're one to talk. You've got a face that screams—"

"There! Those guys jumped me and Ole!" Jørgen appeared from around the corner with a pair of Arendelle castle guards. "Get 'em!"

"Shit."


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** Frozen is the property of Disney. I do not own anything except the original characters in this work of fanfiction.

* * *

**Chapter Ten:** Poisoned

"More champagne, sir?" A server materialized beside Lars, holding out a glass filled with the bubbly liquor. The prince simply shook his head to refuse and held up a hand to dismiss the server.

"Always the sober one, aren't you?" Max clapped a hand on his shoulder, grinning as he held up his own glass of champagne. "Come on, this is a party! Live a little, why don't you?"

Lars harrumphed. "I'm not drinking because I may have to drag your drunken carcass back at the inn," he retorted. "Besides, it's hard to get comfortable when half the guests are giving you the evil eye."

His friend raised an eyebrow curiously. "Why?"

"Because of what Hans did."

"Ah. Southerners aren't popular these days here in Arendelle, I take it?"

"That's an understatement. Queen Elsa is beloved in Arendelle despite what she had done." He thought about the conversation he had with a particularly garrulous barber earlier that day, when he went to a barbershop for shave and a haircut.

That afternoon, just before the ball, Lars had found himself striding into the barbershop near the inn he and Max were staying, the bell by the door jangling merrily as he entered. Normally, he would have done the trimming and shaving himself, but since he was representing his country and was hoping to make a good impression on the queen of Arendelle, he had decided not to take any chances. Besides, if he had not gone in for a shave and a haircut, he thought he looked like a stockier, sideburns-less version of Hans if he squinted and turned his head sideways.

Not a good idea.

He attracted the barber's attention, who had been in the middle of applying soap over a customer's chin and throat. "Do you mind waiting until I'm done with him?" the barber asked without looking at Lars.

"Not at all. I'll just sit and wait outside by the benches, then."

He had stepped outside the shop and sat on the bench, watching the bustling activities around him idly. The barbershop faced the wharf, where three trading schooners were docked. The sailors were busily loading their cargoes—with the way the crates dripped water, he surmised they contained ice. Whoever had control over the valuable ice trade would surely have substantial clout. Since Arendelle's queen held the monopoly on the ice trade by virtue of her…unique abilities, the Southern Isles viewed had her as a desirable partner in both war and peace.

The idea of Queen Elsa as a "desirable partner", as his brain had put it, jarred the prince back to present and made heat creep up his neck to suffuse his face. She was certainly beautiful—very much so. Max's ringing endorsement of her beauty did not do her justice—Lars remembered observing her from afar when her and her sister's arrival was announced. She had been poised and regal, with cool blue eyes that swept through the ballroom before she nodded graciously, thanking those who had attended. He had taken in every detail of her appearance, then slapped himself mentally for foolishly gaping at her. He recalled the scent that had wafted up his nose, making it twitch, when he bumped into her at the balcony—something crisp, clean, dark, and mysteriously pleasant, like a quiet winter evening.

Normally, women did not fluster Lars, but this one had disrupted his equilibrium so much that he was made painfully aware at how awkward things were between them at the balcony and when they had danced. Thankfully, Max was with him afterwards to distract him with ridiculous comments that never failed to get a rise out of him. He had no idea why she made him feel like that—she wasn't even that friendly to him, looking at him with faint suspicion in her blue eyes, yet she had him comparing her scent to a quiet winter evening. He hated metaphors—those made his head spin as he sat through torturous literature classes while he was in university.

It was irritating how fascinating he found her.

Lars inwardly cursed his brother Thomas once more for sending him here to make nice with Queen Elsa. He was a man of action, not words, dammit. He was supremely uncomfortable with the idea of him being an envoy to Arendelle because he was Hans's opposite. Because after all, he was responsible for what Hans had done to Arendelle's queen and princess.

_If only I could turn back time._

He sighed quietly, unable to stop the piping, innocent voice of a five-year old Hans ringing in his ears.

_"Ow! Lars, help me! I can't get out…"_

_"Let me play with you. I'll even be the princess. Please?"_

_"What did I do, Brother? I'm sorry…"_

"Lars?"

"Hmm?" The prince grunted, glancing at Max, who tapped him on his shoulder.

Max sighed. "You're off in your own world again. Fine. I'll just go mingle and you stay here and do your brooding thing," he said, rolling his eyes and wiggling his fingers mockingly. "Here. Have a drink while you're at it, and don't worry, I haven't touched it yet." He shoved the glass into Lars's hand as he started off toward a group of people waving at him from the other side of the room. The prince merely watched his friend's retreating back as he absently raised the glass to his lips to take a sip of the champagne, delving back to his afternoon at the barber.

"How would you like your hair cut, sir?" the barber had asked, raising his eyebrows and snipping his shears invitingly.

"Just trim the back, sides, and top, but keep the top long enough for me to comb it with a side part, and don't clip the sides too much," Lars instructed.

"Good choice." The barber nodded approvingly and shook out a cape to drape it over him before beginning to work. As barbers were wont to do, he began making small talk. "Sometimes dandies would come wandering into my shop asking for a 'windswept look'. And those sideburns! Too much, if you ask me. The ridiculous nonsense Southerners come up these days," he grumbled over the sound of snipping shears.

"Southerners?" Lars echoed.

"The Southern Isles. Arendelle's not too crazy about them these days. That Prince Hans of theirs had been a big help to Arendelle when Queen Elsa accidentally froze everything with her powers, so we thought he was a decent chap. But then word got out that he only did that to usurp the throne. We never would have believed it if Princess Anna hadn't spoken up because that Hans seemed just so darned nice, but we have no reason to believe the princess is lying because that girl is too honest for her own good. Also, sure, the queen may have gotten Arendelle into a frozen state for a few days, but we don't think she's an evil sorceress as the Duke of Weaseltown says. We're proud of our Snow Queen."

Interesting. Considering the sudden winter the queen had caused, Lars had assumed the citizens would be resentful toward her. The prince glanced up to meet the barber's eyes reflected on the mirror before them. "Why do you think she's not that bad?" he asked with casual curiosity.

"Not from around here, sir?"

After that jab against his country—not that he blamed the barber—Lars had simply answered yes. The barber continued, seemingly oblivious.

"Well, I have to admit we were rather cold toward her after the winter she had caused—sorry for the pun, but I couldn't help myself," the barber chortled. "Anyway, I've got a friend who's a member of the merchant guild, and he told me that the queen had managed to secure a trade agreement with Corona—their food for our ice. Rumor has it that the terms are much more agreeable than what we had with Weselton, and my friend says it'll bring more revenue to Arendelle. It's a win-win situation. And I know for a fact that she's working very hard to keep Arendelle prosperous.

"My daughter works as a maid in the castle, and she said it's a common sight to see the queen burning the midnight oil in her study," the barber continued, starting to work on the sides of Lars's head. "Nellie—my daughter—also said that while Queen Elsa comes across as much quieter than Princess Anna, she's kind in her own way. She always acknowledges the servants, asks them how they are. Nellie told me that the queen has this way of looking at you as if you're worth all her time and attention. She idolizes the queen, my daughter does, and with the way she gushes about the queen, her mother and I ended up admiring her too."

"So the queen is beloved in Arendelle," Lars observed neutrally, trying to get the barber to talk more.

"Oh, yes. The fact that she doesn't look down on commoners like my daughter is enough for me to like her. She has her grandfather King Raimond's charisma—well, both the sisters do, actually. Poor thing though, shut up in the castle for thirteen years because of her powers. I'm just a barber, what do I know about this magic mumbo-jumbo? But you know, I think the former King Agdar and Queen Idun—may the One God bless their souls—shouldn't have kept her in seclusion. Then again, I suppose being king and worrying whether your daughter is cursed on top of worrying about your country isn't so easy, is it?"

Lars's curiosity was piqued. "Worrying about your country? What do you mean?"

"Well...war. King Agdar was trying not to get dragged between Buckland and Weselton, which are at each other's throats over the Aire mountains, even before he got married to Queen Idun, though at the time the feud between them wasn't that bad. It's been said that the mountains were stuffed full of gold, so naturally both countries want full control over it. Rumors at the castle thirteen years ago—my wife used to work there, until Nellie took her place—said that Weselton wanted King Agdar's support against Buckland. So naturally, the king was caught between his trading partner Weselton, and military ally Buckland."

The barber paused and rummaged through a nearby drawer for some hair oil, which he massaged over Lars's scalp, and continued with his monologue. "Personally, I think King Agdar did what he did because it got him two birds with one stone—he could keep everyone safe by using Princess Elsa's seclusion as an excuse not to get caught up between Buckland and Weselton, and to keep Arendelle safe from her powers." The barber snorted. "Guess you know how well that turned out."

Lars frowned. That didn't sit well with him. Sacrificing the happiness of one for the sake of the nation? Especially the happiness of one so young back then. He wondered how much of the queen's secluded past had affected her. From what the barber told him, she seemed to be a natural introvert, yet it did not keep her subjects from giving her their loyalty. On the other hand, Hans had described her a monster who consigned her people to a wintry doom and her sister a frozen death—which was exactly why he chose to believe the opposite.

"Then again, the king didn't have much choice himself. Maybe it was the best he could do, considering his circumstances back then. He was caught between a rock and a hard place."

_The information I got might be useful to Thomas somehow,_ Lars noted, downing the rest of the champagne and handing the glass to a passing server. _Though knowing Thomas, this might be old news to him. Still, I should write him a letter when I get back to the—_

"Done brooding? I hope so. The fireworks are about to start." Max interrupted the prince's musings and grabbed his arm to yank him toward the door. "Don't tell me you can't even appreciate that."

"Of course I can." He shook Max's hand off his arm and straightened his sleeve.

"Really? Your face is still all scrunchy-like. Careful, you wouldn't want any wrinkles to mar your fair visage, would you?"

With a scowl, Lars opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted by an old man who told them impatiently to get a move on. Lars shunted his irritation aside and quickened his pace, weaving in between people so he could get to the courtyard faster. The countdown began a little later, with Max counting along Princess Anna. He smiled a bit at the wide grin Max sported—no matter how much Max fancied himself a sophisticated gentleman, shows such as this never failed to bring out the child in him. His friend's enthusiasm was infectious; soon the prince found himself doing the same thing as Max and let out a low whistle of appreciation when the first of the fireworks bloomed in the sky with a sharp crack.

"Arendelle didn't spare any expense, did it?" Max remarked, the display casting a rainbow of colors over his face. Lars merely hummed in agreement, surreptitiously letting his gaze wander over to Queen Elsa. Her guard must be down right now, perhaps thinking everyone's attention was on the fireworks display, for she wore a pensive expression on her face.

_I wonder what she is thinking about._

But his sharp eyes caught how the queen blanched and grimaced before she reached blindly toward the princess. He started, catching Max's attention.

"What—?"

"Look." He steered Max toward the direction of the stage, where Princess Anna cradled the queen in her arms, fear and alarm written clearly on her face. Almost instinctively Lars sprinted toward the stage, his only thought to offer assistance. He ignored the growing pandemonium around him—all he cared about was reaching the queen.

"What's going on?"

"What happened to the queen?"

"For the love of—is this a repeat of yesterday's shenanigans?"

Captain Schmidt's authoritative voice carried over the din. "Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm and cooperate! We—"

"Cooperate? What if someone gets killed?"

"Please remain calm!"

Lars aggressively pushed his way past the agitated crowd, stopping short when the guards below the stage blocked his way with their spears. "Halt! Who are you?" the guard barked, scowling.

Aware that he must tread carefully, he adopted an even tone to answer the guard's belligerent question. "Prince Lars of the Southern Isles. I can help."

The guard snorted with derision. "We've enough of princes from your country," he scoffed. "Off with you, before—"

"Niels!" Princess Anna called out as she stood up. Master Kristoff took her place, cradling the queen protectively. "What's going on?"

"This prince here," Niels gesturing with his thumb, "Lars of the Southern Isles, says he could help."

"Did he now?" the princess darted a gimlet stare at him, which he forced himself to return. Honestly, it was beginning to bother him, the mistrustful glares thrown his way ever since it became known he was from the Southern Isles. He wasn't used to being the object of suspicion, especially since he had tried to live his life as honorably as possible after realizing his youthful mistakes.

_Then again, this may be the past catching up to you,_ he mused as he weathered Princess Anna's scrutiny steadily.

Max cleared his throat tentatively. "If I may, Your Highness," he began, "I will vouch for Lars. I understand your wariness, but right now he may be able to help."

She bit her lip, her eyes roving back and forth as she weighed her options. But she must have realized there was no time to lose, nodding curtly as she motioned for them to follow her. Niels opened his mouth to protest, but the princess sent him a quelling look.

Lars took a deep breath to calm down when they reached Queen Elsa, forcing himself to look at her with impassivity. Her porcelain complexion was now a pallid, ashy gray, and she was having difficulty breathing. He grasped her wrist to feel for her pulse; it was weak and erratic. He gently patted her cheek to bring her to consciousness. "Your Majesty," he whispered, low and urgent, "please open your eyes. I need to see them."

Queen Elsa's eyelids fluttered weakly before they opened, telling him it took her considerable effort to do so. Her eyes, clear and sharp earlier at the balcony, were now a cloudy grayish blue.

_I hope I'm wrong,_ he prayed grimly as he bent down toward her mouth.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Princess Anna cried, her voice rising in panic. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Master Kristoff pull her back.

"Relax, he's smelling her breath to get an idea what had poisoned her. What did you think he would do?"

"I—" the princess sighed. "Sorry. Him doing that...reminded me of Hans."

"What are you doing?" Queen Elsa slurred. Her cool breath tickled his cheek and allowed him to catch a whiff of...something. He sniffed again, the sweet, tangy, strawberry-like scent confirming what he dreaded.

_Damn._

"Shadeberry," Lars said tersely. "We have about fifteen minutes, maybe even less. Do you have any sunroot?"

"We should have some dried ones in the kitchens," Niels piped up. "The captain sometimes sends me to get some for his 'strengthening tonics'," he explained. "How much do you need?"

"A cup brewed into tea should suffice for now. But the best antidote for shadeberry poison is moss grown from an earth troll's back—the older the troll, the better," Lars answered. He placed two of his fingers over the pulse point on Elsa's wrist, a muscle ticking in his jaw. He looked up at them, his brow furrowed. "Whoever did this wanted to do a thorough job—trolls aren't known for giving up their moss easily."

"Don't say that," Princess Anna snapped. "The trolls will help us out. Right, Kristoff?"

"Right. I'll go talk to them. They'll understand. I'd better leave now, though." He gave the princess a quick hug, kissing the top of her head. Lars looked down at the queen once more and resisted the urge to brush away the lock of hair that had fallen over her sweat-beaded forehead. He cleared his throat to speak.

"Alright, then. We'd better get the queen to her room. Mr. Niels, have the sunroot tea brought to her room immediately, and relay to your captain to make sure the guests do not leave the premises. They will need to be questioned." He flicked a glance at Max, who stood a few feet away and looked a little uncertain. "Max, please go with Mr. Niels and apprise the Arendelle's captain of the guard of the situation, and assist him in any way you can. He may need help in questioning the guests—can you do that?"

His friend straightened and nodded to give his assent. "Will do."

"Good. Princess Anna, kindly lead the way." The princess quickly ushered him down the stage and into the castle. He followed her as she led him through the main hall, up a spiral staircase, and through some corridors. The trip was silent, broken only by the sound of the queen's shallow breathing. Two or three maids followed them closely, ready to do their bidding. When they reached their destination, the princess opened the door and Lars was relieved to find a cup of warm sunroot tea already sitting on the bedside table. Princess Anna arranged the pillows on the bed and bade him to set Queen Elsa on the bed. A spike of worry pierced through him when she did not even stir. Her skin felt cold as he patted her cheek gently to bring her back to consciousness.

"Wake up, Your Majesty. We need you to take this sunroot tea to make you feel better," Lars said, positioning himself so that her back leaned against his chest. The queen groaned and opened her eyes with much effort.

"Can't—breathe," she gasped.

"Because you've been poisoned. You need to drink the tea Princess Anna has for you. It will make you feel a little better."

She choked a little as she forced the tea down her constricted throat, but it went down smoothly after her first swallow. She heaved a great breath, and Lars knew the temporary antidote worked since she could breathe more easily now. However, the poison was still in her system—Queen Elsa fell back into a stupor after a few minutes, her skin still cold as ice.

"What do we do now?" Princess Anna asked wearily. "Will she be all right?"

Lars didn't answer at first, choosing his words with care. "For now. We have to make sure she drinks the tea every two hours until Master Kristoff arrives with the permanent antidote. Meanwhile, make sure an apothecary is on hand so that he could prepare it immediately."

"How?"

"Have him extract its juice and have the queen drink it—it has to be in its purest form. Do not mix it with any other liquid."

"And then?"

"We wait."

* * *

**Next up:**

"What is it about those two? Trouble and tragedy follows them like a deranged puppy or something," Kristoff said exasperatedly, throwing up his hands.

Grand Pabbie leveled a solemn look at his adopted grandson. "Which is why you should hurry back with the antidote. The sisters need you," he replied, his gravelly voice snapping the ice master out of his frustration.

* * *

_**Note:** Very sorry for the long wait. Buried up to my eyeballs in work and personal stuff. Creativity held hostage by writer's block. Also sorry for the short previous update. Please review?_


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** Frozen is the property of Disney. I do not own anything except the original characters in this work of fanfiction.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven:** Speculation

Kristoff knew that time was of the essence, but there was no way he was going to race to the valley where his family lived wearing his fancy uniform and stiff dress shoes. "It'll just slow me down," he muttered as he rummaged through his closet for his summer clothes—boots, trousers, shirt, and vest. Besides, if Ma saw him dressed all spiffy, she'd fuss over him and he'd never be able to leave. He had stopped by his house near the castle to change and prepare for his impromptu journey, packing a knife, a pouch to put the moss in, length of rope, a torch, a box of matches, and his pickaxe.

Just in case.

"We gotta make this quick, buddy," Kristoff murmured as he harnessed Sven. "It usually takes us about four hours from here to get to the valley, right? Well, we need to get there as fast as we can. It's an emergency. Elsa needs Grand Pabbie's help. Or more specifically, some moss from his back." He paused and smacked his forehead. "Dang it, I forgot to ask how much she needs!"

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, trying to remember the long-ago lessons Bulda taught him about herbs. "A handful should do it. Probably make it two. What do you think, Sven?"

Sven let out a skeptical grunt and shook his head. "Hey, come on, Grand Pabbie won't do that. Elsa needs help."

_And Anna...she can't lose Elsa again._ Kristoff remembered Anna's stricken face when Elsa fainted. Resolve hardened within him. _Not if I can help it,_ he thought with grim determination.

The reindeer blinked and snorted, pawing the ground. "Yeah, I say so. Now come on," Kristoff hauled himself up on the reindeer and patted its neck. "Let's go, Sven!" he urged, thankful that tonight a full moon hung in the sky to light his way.

* * *

Anna frowned in her sleep, shifting to find a more comfortable position. She couldn't understand why she felt so uncomfortable—it felt like she was lying face down on something stiff and rough.

The answer hit her like a ton of bricks.

_Because I'm in Elsa's room to watch over her while Kristoff's off to Grand Pabbie to get the antidote for her. Someone tried to kill her._

Her eyes flew open at the realization, making her sit bolt upright with a gasp. "Elsa!" she exclaimed, scrambling to her feet and crossing the short distance from the couch she was sleeping on toward her sister's prone form on the bed. Anna stopped short, taking in the other's features—Elsa has always been pale, but the grayish tinge on her complexion returned, which had almost disappeared when the temporary antidote was administered. _She's having trouble breathing again—has it been two hours since she last drank the sunroot tea?_ Anna wondered, watching as Elsa frowned and whimpered softly.

"Your Highness?" Nellie, one of the maids that assisted her and Lars earlier, tapped her shoulder, which made her start and turn. "Ma'am, we're about to give Her Majesty another dose of the tea. Marie just went down to the kitchens to have it prepared."

"Ah, yes. Thank you, Nellie." The princess mustered a smile at the maids' efficiency and initiative. She nodded in gratitude when Nellie got her a chair so she could sit by Elsa's side. Nellie took her place near the door so that she could give Anna a measure of privacy.

Anna ran a fingertip between Elsa's frowning brows to smooth it over. "You know, your face is going to freeze that way if you keep doing that. Get it? Freeze?" she joked with a weak smile. But the smile slipped, and her lower lip trembled to keep back her tears. "Come on, Elsa, fight it. Don't give in. Don't leave me alone. I won't be able to stand it if you do—I just got you back! I can't lose you again, I just can't!" she pleaded, holding Elsa's cold, clammy hand between hers and pressing it to her forehead, not daring to compare it with...

The dam broke, and Anna let out all the tears she had held back ever since Elsa shut herself off from everyone. She had never cried, even after Elsa ran away to her ice castle up the North Mountain. She never did because Elsa was alive, which meant there was always a chance that she'd get her older sister back. But now Elsa was barely alive and she couldn't do anything about it but sit and pray that—

_Stop it!_ she chastised herself. _Elsa's going to be okay. Kristoff's going to get what Elsa needs to get better. He will._ Anna sniffed back the last of her tears, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand.

A soft knock on the door helped Anna gather the tattered shreds of her composure. "Who is it?" Nellie asked, walking over to the door.

"It's Marie. I've got Her Majesty's tea with me," the maid answered, her voice muffled. Anna nodded at Nellie to let Marie in, the latter pushing a cart. While the two maids fussed over the tea, Anna preoccupied herself with waking Elsa up, patting her sister's cheek gently and her name several times. She let out a sigh of relief when Elsa opened her eyes, her gaze hazy and unfocused.

"Nngh—Anna?"

"Yeah, it's me. Here, I need you to drink this." She received the cup of sunroot tea from Marie while Nellie propped the queen up to a sitting position. "It'll help you breathe more easily."

"Ugh...head hurts...hard to breathe, too," Elsa muttered, blinking hard. Anna bit her lip to keep herself in control. _Conceal it, don't feel it. Don't let it show,_ she chanted mentally. She hated how she had fallen back on Elsa's former mantra, one that kept her away, but she had no choice—she had to hide how she felt, because if Elsa saw—

"Don't."

Anna started. "Huh?"

"Hide what you feel. You're not very good at it," Elsa slurred before she took the cup from Anna's hands and drank. Dumbfounded, Anna waited until her older sister was finished drinking every drop, taking the cup absently from her and handing it to Nellie. The queen flopped back on the bed with a gusty sigh, staring up at the canopy of her bed. Neither sister spoke for a couple of minutes, the younger wondering what to say to the older, while the older waited for the tea to take effect. Only the sound of the queen's labored breathing filled the room. Meanwhile, the two maids, sensing that the royal sisters needed privacy, went out of the room along with the tea cart.

"I can breathe easier now," Elsa began, still staring up at the canopy. "I don't remember much, but I think you sent Kristoff off on some errand—something to do with Grand Pabbie?"

"Oh, that. Um, Prince Lars said that the antidote for your..."

"Poisoning," Elsa supplied as she sat up with a grunt, making Anna frown.

"Don't joke about that."

"I'm not. That's what happened to me, right?"

Anna glared at Elsa, who returned it calmly. "Yes, but you don't have to be so blunt about it! Do you know how worried sick I am over you?" she snapped, her back becoming ramrod straight with indignation. She tsked and shook her head. "Anyway, Kristoff went to Grand Pabbie to ask for some moss grown from his back—apparently, that's the permanent antidote for your poisoning," she said, forcing herself to relax. "At least, according to Prince Lars."

Elsa raised a quizzical eyebrow, which Anna took to interpret as "huh?"

"Yeah," she went on. "Prince Lars came to your rescue, carrying you to your room while he had Lord Max help out with catching the culprits."

The queen nodded thoughtfully, chewing on her bottom lip, while her hands clenched at her blanket. "Any word on that yet?" she asked, frowning.

"No," Anna answered, watching Elsa's frown deepen before she squeezed her eyes shut, rubbing her right temple. "Hey, are you alright? I mean, I know you're not a hundred percent okay since you haven't taken the moss tea yet—"

"I'm fine," her sister interrupted. "I mean, the sunroot tea did the trick. How long has it been since I was poisoned?"

"Uh...about four hours. You need to take the tea every two hours until Kristoff gets here. That's your second dose already." Anna paused, trying to estimate how long it would take for the ice master to make the trip from the castle to where his family lived and back. "He should be here in a couple of hours. Meanwhile, I think you should rest." She pushed Elsa back down, glad that the latter did not resist. "I'll be right here to watch over you, Elsa." A spike of worry drove through her chest when Elsa didn't protest, closing her eyes obediently with a soft sigh.

Anna wasn't sure, but she thought she heard her sister murmur a thank you before she lost consciousness.

_Please hurry back, Kristoff. I can't lose her again._

_Please._

* * *

"You did great, buddy," Kristoff scratched Sven behind the ears, making the reindeer snort with contentment. Sven's sides were heaving like bellows from their mad dash from the castle to the valley where his family lived; as such, Kristoff made a mental note to give Sven an extra serving of carrots when they got back. "I'm sure Elsa wouldn't mind if we asked her for extra carrots," he said as he slid off Sven, leading the reindeer through the familiar path to his family home.

"Ma? Where are you? Is Grand Pabbie here?" he called out, tamping down the impatience he felt. He waited for the familiar rumbling sound that filled his ears whenever he came to visit. Sure enough, his family came out to greet him, cheerful as always.

"Kristoff, pick me up!"

"Cliff passed another kidney stone, did you know?"

"I got my SECOND fire crystal, Kristoff! Isn't it pretty?"

"Guys, guys! It's good to see you, really, but where's Grand Pabbie?" he asked, injecting a note of urgency in his voice.

"He's over at the crystal pool meditating, but I'll go get him," a rough voice from the back piped up.

"Thanks, Cliff. Hey, Ma," Kristoff greeted Bulda, kneeling on one knee so he could see his adoptive mother better.

"Kristoff, you know it's always good to see you, but the last time you went to see Grand Pabbie something was wrong," Bulda remarked. "Did something happen to Princess Anna again?"

He shook his head. "No, it's not Anna, but E—I mean, it's Queen Elsa."With that he quickly told the gathered trolls what happened yesterday at the play and tonight at the ball, ending with why he was there.

"This Lars fellow—how did he know that troll moss is the best antidote for poisoning? Only a few people know that," Bulda frowned, raising a skeptical eyebrow at her adopted son.

Kristoff blinked and shrugged. "You know, it never did occur to me to ask how he knew that," he answered sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Things were getting too exciting when I left. But I'll ask, okay?" he appeased Bulda, raising both his hands when her mouth opened for another comment. "I know—we have our secrets." The distant rumble alerted him that Grand Pabbie was on his way. He stood up just as the elder of the clan rolled up before him, unfurling to reveal the kind, wise eyes and bulbous nose.

"Kristoff," Grand Pabbie greeted him gravely, looking up at him. "How is the queen?"

The ice master started in surprise. "How did you know about that?"

"I was meditating in the crystal pools and sensed a disturbance. I am not sure what is going on, though." He kept his gaze steady on Kristoff, waiting for him to explain.

"Someone poisoned Queen Elsa with shadeberry. I was told moss from an earth troll's back—the older, the better—was the antidote."

"So you want me to give you some of my moss, then?" the old troll asked.

"Please. For Elsa."

The old troll sighed. "About half a handful will suffice. Too much can be just as harmful as the shadeberry. While you're getting the moss you need, I want you to remember what I will say to you. This is a message for the queen."

"Okay," Kristoff said slowly. He sat down so he could be on the same level as his adoptive grandfather, focusing his attention on him.

"Tonight's events may or may not have something to do with what I am sensing," Grand Pabbie began, taking off his grass cloak. He turned so that his back faced Kristoff, prompting the ice master to start scraping the precious moss off him. "Something stirs the magic in the air. Something dangerous. I am not sure what it is, exactly, but I sense it is somehow connected to the queen. That was why I was meditating, to figure out what this disturbance meant."

Kristoff let out the breath he was holding, carefully pouring the moss into his pouch as his mind worked furiously to remember what Grand Pabbie said. "Anything else you want to add, Grand Pabbie?" he asked, just to be sure.

"Nothing for now. I will continue meditating on this. When everything is clearer, I will send for you."

"What is it about those two? Trouble and tragedy follows them like a deranged puppy or something," Kristoff exclaimed after a beat of heavy silence, throwing up his hands. He ran a hand through his hair, releasing an exasperated sigh.

Grand Pabbie leveled a solemn look at his adopted grandson. "Which is why you should hurry back with the antidote. The sisters need you, perhaps even more after this," he replied, his gravelly voice snapping the ice master out of his frustration. The old troll bent to retrieve his grass cloak, wrapping it around himself once more. "Now go. Keep your eyes open for any signs of strange happenings."

"Alright. And thank you. Anna, she..." Kristoff trailed off, embarrassed over his outburst and unsure of what to say next. "Anyway, I'd better get going. I'll visit again, hopefully with no bad news." He stood up and dusted himself off with one hand, the other keeping a tight grip on the pouch that contained the precious moss.

"Good news, then? Like when you and Princess Anna are going to get married?" Bulda asked with a wide, expectant grin and her usual bluntness.

"Ma!"

* * *

"We'll be taking it from here, Your Highness, My Lord," Captain Schmidt said as the door of the prison swung shut. "Thank you both for your assistance in helping capture the culprits and providing the queen with a temporary antidote. If you hadn't been there, we could have probably lost her."

Max nodded, glancing at the remaining assassin, who was chained to the wall. The earl returned the baleful glare the assassin pinned him with impassively, noting the man's nondescript, regular features enabled him to blend in as a servant quite easily. _That must have been how he was able to slip the poison in Queen Elsa's drink or food,_ Max realized. If they had killed Jørgen and Ole, they probably would have gotten away with it.

Both assassins had put up a terrific fight, managing to injure most of the guards that tried to stop them from getting away. One of them managed to land a shallow cut on Max's side; the wound throbbed slightly underneath the bandage as he remembered how close he got to getting stabbed in the gut. Thankfully, he was able to dance nimbly out of harm's way just in time.

Unfortunately, at some point during the scuffle, the other assassin was killed by a stray crossbow bolt.

"How are you holding up?" Lars asked him, his brows knitted with concern. "Shouldn't you be resting or something?"

The prince had joined Max half an hour ago at the infirmary, keeping him company while the royal doctor patched him up. Lars looked haggard, with dark circles under his eyes and a stubble casting a shadow over his cheeks and chin. Max was fairly sure he looked the same. He was tired—it had been a long day, and it looks like it will go on longer still, considering how they have not yet interrogated the prisoner. He had insisted on joining the captain at the dungeons so he could get a good look at the remaining assassin.

He waved off Lars's concern with an easy grin. "Don't mind me, you old worrywart. It'll take more than that to get rid of me," Max replied breezily. "On the other hand, I think there's something you need to see. Sir," he turned toward Captain Schmidt, "with your permission, might Prince Lars inspect the weapons the assassins carried?"

"Of course. Right this way, gentlemen."

The prince and the earl followed the captain to his office, where a pair of daggers and a pistol crossbow lay on his desk. Lars glanced at Captain Schmidt to ask his permission to take a closer look at the weapons, picking the crossbow up when he nodded. Max watched his friend's eyes narrow as he examined the crossbow closely, turning the weapon over in his hands. The prince absentmindedly sat down on one of the chairs on the other side of the captain's desk, one hand reaching for the lantern so he could see something on the crossbow better.

"Captain, may I ask for a sheet of paper and a pencil?"

"What, are you going to draw that thing?" Max asked curiously. Lars didn't answer, placing the paper over the right side of the weapon, just above the trigger. He watched as his friend rubbed the pencil lead over the paper to produce a faint etching of some kind of crest. It was a lion rampant.

"Son of a—" Captain Schmidt sputtered. "That's..."

Lars nodded impassively. "From Weselton. They tried to file it off, but didn't do a thorough job of it."

A minute of silence descended upon the men. "So. What happens now?" Max ventured.

The captain sighed wearily, rubbing a hand over his face. "Looks like my day is not over yet."

* * *

**Next up:**

I don't have one yet. Sorry!

* * *

**_Notes:_** _Reviews and constructive criticism would be most lovely indeed. Feel free to poke holes in my logic—God knows I have a lot to learn when it comes to writing intrigue and mystery!_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **Frozen is the property of Disney. I do not own anything except the original characters in this work of fanfiction.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: **Vigil

_June 22nd, dawn_

_It was as if she were someone else. Her line of vision was filled by a man with long, flowing red hair, the same shade as Anna's coppery locks, some of which were tied back in thin braids. He also had a neatly-trimmed beard covering his cheeks and strong jaw. A smile twitched underneath the beard, and his eyes, blue and clear as the sky, regarded her with love and fondness._

_"And now, two become one. You are now husband and wife."_

Wait, what? Wife?

_"Vetra," the man murmured, tipping her chin up with a finger to kiss her gently. It was a mere peck of the lips—too quick for her to process, as her mind was scrambling to think of how she ended up getting married to this stranger. And why had he called her Vetra? As in the Goddess of Winter of old? The one who she was supposedly descended from?_

What is going on?

_Elsa blinked and found herself standing before another man, with blond hair and ice-blue eyes like hers. He was neither old nor young, and she got the distinct sense that he was someone to be respected, judging from the way he held himself—ramrod straight with his jaw set firmly, his eyes stern as he looked at her. There was an otherwordly aura about him—perhaps it was the unnatural glow in his blue eyes, or the luminous sheen of his complexion. She started mentally when the man spoke._

_"Know this, daughter. The blood of gods and humans are not meant to mix, yet this is what you seek to do." His ill-concealed control snapped at his words. "What arrogance and folly! You dare go against the laws of natural order? Gods are above humans!"_

_"I am aware that I face the unknown, Father. You have given me the chance to ask for one boon, and this is it."_

_"You ask for too much." He sounded defeated, as if he knew his daughter would not back down. Elsa stared unblinkingly at the man she called father. Her thoughts were also still—she waited with mentally-bated breath over the standoff._

_He finally sighed. "I give you my blessing," he capitulated. "However, I know not what shall result in this madness you propose. Humans are unfit vessels for the power of the gods. They are weakened by greed, pride, fear, and hatred. What will happen if your child inherits your powers?"_

_"Love the child if it does. For love will thaw."_

Love...of course. Love!_ The words she spoke when she thawed Arendelle from the grip of her powers came rushing back._

"Elsa? Please wake up." Someone patted her cheek gently, and the voice that pierced through the fog of her dreams had a tinge of panic in it, bringing her to full consciousness.

"Mmph...wha—" Elsa mumbled, struggling to open her eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment when a sharp pain lanced through her temples. Her head hurt.

_Ugh, everything hurts. Leave me alone, let me sleep..._

"Elsa? You're kind of scaring me here. Can you give me some kind of signal that you're okay? Okay, I know you're not really okay, but—"

"I'm awake." She finally mustered the strength to open her eyes to see Anna's anxious face hovering over hers. She blinked as her sister smiled in relief.

"Oh, thank goodness. I was starting to worry." Anna leaned back to settle down on her chair. "Kristoff isn't here yet, but he should be any minute now," she continued as if to convince herself. "He's not lost or anything, probably just a little delayed. Because, you know—it's dark outside and he probably has a hard time seeing stuff, and oh my God what if wolves are chasing him as we speak?" Anna pressed her hands against her cheeks and pulled them downwards like what she used to do when she was four. "I shouldn't have let him go alone! I should have—"

Elsa cut off Anna's tirade by smoothing the frown creasing Anna's eyebrows with her second and third fingers. She used to do that to her when they were kids, when Anna was on the verge of a crying fit. She was gratified to see that it still worked—Anna calmed down some and blinked at her in confusion.

"Good to see things haven't changed," Elsa murmured, settling back against her pillows.

"Right. Whatever. Anyway, this is going to be your second dose of tea already. So that means four hours have passed since you were poisoned. How are you feeling?"

"Unless I take the tea, getting worse by the second."

"Elsa!"

"Sorry. I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

"You're a terrible comedian. The worst comedian ever."

Elsa smiled apologetically. "I seem to have developed a morbid sense of humor. I'll work on my jokes when I get better, I promise."

"Yeah, you do that," Anna muttered, thrusting the saucer with the cup of sunroot tea on it toward her. "Drink up."

Deciding it was a bad idea to push Anna's buttons further—really, what had possessed her to joke about such a thing—Elsa gulped the tea greedily so that the pounding against her head would cease. She finished the cup and handed the cup and saucer to Anna, who laid it on the table beside her bed. The sisters fell into a companionable silence as they waited for the tea to take effect.

But Anna, never comfortable with any kind of silence for too long, spoke up. "They caught the culprits," she said, absently smoothing a crease on Elsa's comforter. "Well, just one, actually. I heard his partner got killed when a fight broke out."

Elsa nodded impassively. She abhorred the loss of life, but considering that hers was threatened yet again—it has been less than a year since the Duke of Weselton had attempted to eliminate her—she found that she couldn't find it in her heart to sympathize. But Anna was more vocal with her opinion. "Good riddance," she declared, thrusting her jaw as if she expected Elsa's censure. "What? They tried to kill you, Elsa. I don't care how I sound like. I just got you back, and I won't lose you again," she finished vehemently, taking Elsa's hands in hers to squeeze them in her warm ones. Her brows creased in a worried frown. "Your hands are like ice," she observed, biting her lip. "Are you warm enough?"

"To be honest, I am feeling a bit cold," Elsa admitted. Though she had the power of winter coursing through her veins and that the cold weather never bothered her, people assumed she would literally be cold as well—after all, she was widely called the Snow Queen, and she never bothered to correct what people thought. Despite the open gates policy, she rarely let people touch her either, which only perpetuated the rumor further. Only Anna had free rein to do so, and her sister usually did through exuberant hugs, linking their arms together, or squeezing her hand reassuringly.

_I am human,_ Elsa kept telling herself after the events of seven months ago—whenever she got sick, which, thankfully, was far and few in between, she felt fever chills wrack her body as her skin grew hot. When she was not, she was as warm as a normal person. However, when her powers go out of control, she usually left behind traces of ice on the surface of anything she touched. That was another reason why she wore gloves—to hide the evidence of her powers that got left behind besides preventing it from manifesting.

"Here," Anna said, pushing Elsa down on the bed and tucking the blanket and duvet around her. "Rest up to help the tea with the poison. I'll go get you some more blankets."

"Thank you," Elsa sighed, burrowing deeper into the covers. Anna pushed back a lock of hair that fell across her forehead carefully before getting up. Seeing her sister's bright head brought back the memory of her dream.

"Anna, before you go," she pushed her duvet back a bit, "do you..." she trailed off when Anna spun around making an inquiring noise. "Never mind. I think I need to sleep now."

"Promise me you'll wake up, okay?" Elsa didn't miss the note of fear in her sister's voice. How could she? She heard it from her own so many times in the past, strengthening her resolve to fight and get to the bottom of whatever it is she found herself mired in. She had wanted to ask Anna what she knew about the family legend—who was that blond man she had dreamed about? Was there ever a physical description of Arngrim? Perhaps that dream was because the play had been on her mind. But why add to Anna's worries?

It was just a dream.

"Yes," she promised, meeting Anna's gaze that sought her reassurance. Anna smiled a little in response.

"I'll go get those blankets. Rest up, sis."

Elsa barely heard Anna's words as she gradually succumbed to the darkness of slumber.

* * *

"What. The. Hell."

A beat of silence passed between the two men before Max spoke. "Calm down. I'm sure—"

"Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down when our only chance to get to the bottom of this is gone?" Lars snapped, running a frustrated hand through his hair. The stress of what happened to the queen, exhaustion, and now this was taking a toll on him. He clenched his jaw and took a deep breath to center himself—losing his temper would hardly help matters, as he was sure Max would point out had he finished his sentence.

The prince looked at the prisoner before him—or rather, his icy remains. The prisoner sitting on the floor, his arms over his face as if to shield himself from something. Something tugged at his memory. Something Hans had said...

"This looks a lot like what happened to the Princess seven months ago," Captain Schmidt observed, stroking his luxurious mustache thoughtfully.

The earl shot a curious look at the captain. "What do you mean?"

Captain Schmidt launched into a short retelling of what happened. "From what I understand," he said, "the key to breaking the spell was love. So unless we find this lowlife's mother or sweetheart, he's as good as dead." He paused and pinched the bridge of his nose as if he were staving off a headache. "Her Majesty will be keenly interested to learn that there is someone with the same powers as she has."

Unspoken questions hung heavy in the air. Who did this? Was the person responsible for this an ally? Where was he or she from?

And most importantly, why had he or she done this?

"I think we only have a few hours before dawn, gentlemen. We're all exhausted—perhaps it's time for us to get some sleep," Max suggested when no one spoke. "We're going to need clear heads if we're going to get to the bottom of this."

Lars nodded, clenching his jaw to suppress a yawn. "Good idea. But Captain, please instruct your men to leave everything untouched here as we might yet uncover a clue."

Later in his room at the inn, Lars cleaned himself up as best he could. He shed most of his clothes, leaving on his shirt and trousers as he crawled to bed, flopping on his stomach with an appreciative groan. He briefly debated on whether or not to write to Thomas about what had happened today, but knowing his brother, his spies would have probably done that already.

He rolled over on his back and stared at the ceiling, his heavy eyelids sliding closed. His last thought was of the queen's condition, if she had been given the antidote already. _The ice master, he...I'm sure..._

* * *

_The sun's almost up,_ Anna noted, watching as the sky turned rosy. _Oh Kristoff, where are you?_ She glanced at Elsa, whose coloring was returning to that awful gray pallor, which meant the sunroot tea's effect was waning.

She didn't have to fret for long—the muffled sound of a commotion reached her ears, prompting her to get up from her position by Elsa's window to investigate. She opened the door to find the guards stationed by the door blocking Kristoff's path.

"What do you think you're doing? Let him in!" she demanded, not bothering to wait for the guards' answer. They both stepped aside, faces impassive as Kristoff glared at them when he passed them by. Anna grabbed his hand and dragged him inside Elsa's room. "So, did you—"

"Hey, be careful! You wouldn't want to spill the antidote," he admonished. Anna noticed for the first time that he held a cup with his other hand.

"So that's it?" Anna peered into the cup curiously, sniffing. It smelled like freshly-cut grass.

"Yes. Elsa has to drink it in its purest form. So…"

"Right." Anna walked over to her sister and shook her gently. "Elsa? Wake up. Kristoff's here with the antidote," she said, smiling with gratefulness at the ice master over her shoulder. Elsa sat up, groggy from sleep.

"How are you doing?" Anna whispered.

Elsa didn't answer right away, shaking her head a little as if to clear it. "I'm…I'll probably need another cup of the tea," she mumbled.

"Well, there's no need for that—Kristoff's here with the antidote!" Anna declared, injecting forced cheer in her voice. "Here, drink up, and make sure you get every drop." She handed the cup to Elsa, who stared at it with glassy eyes. Anna shot a worried look at Kristoff before she guided the cup to Elsa's mouth. "There we go, come on," she urged, relief flooding through her as Elsa drank the concoction without any difficulty. "Need water to wash it down?"

"No, don't. Give it some time first," Kristoff said. "Sorry if it tastes awful, though." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it," Elsa croaked, her eyes sharpening with focus. "It doesn't taste bad, and I think it's working." She blinked a few times before looking at Kristoff with a smile. "Thank you," she said. "You saved my life."

"Ah, well." The ice master cleared his throat, embarrassed. "Wasn't all me. I just took off and got it. I didn't know what the antidote was. If Prince Lars hadn't said anything…" he trailed off awkwardly, as if he realized the Southern Isles was a sore topic. "Er. Sorry."

Anna shrugged. "Yeah, he helped. Doesn't mean I trust the guy or anything that comes from that country," she snorted. "Are you really okay?" she asked Elsa, who nodded. She couldn't help it—tears started to burn her eyes and a sob forced its way out of her throat. She threw her arms around her sister, letting out all the feelings she had bottled up inside.

"I was so worried about you," she mumbled. Anna hated crying—she had never cried, even after Elsa ran off and shut herself in her ice castle up the North Mountain. She had never cried then because Elsa was alive and that she'd always held the hope that she'll get her back, but then when she had her back Elsa was barely alive and she couldn't do anything about it except sit and pray and—

"Hey." A cool hand brushes the tears away from her hot cheeks. "I'm alright now, thanks to Kristoff. I'm sorry to worry you, though." Anna lifted her head to see Elsa's face a few inches from hers. _She does look better,_ Anna thought, her eyes roving over Elsa's face for signs that indicated otherwise.

"You know, I heard you say at one point that my face will freeze if I keep frowning. I didn't get any wrinkles while I was out cold, did I?"

Anna shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you're definitely better, alright," she remarked wryly. "You really are a terrible comedian. Seriously, ice puns?"

"Good thing I'm the queen, then."

A comfortable silence settled over the trio for a moment before Elsa spoke again. "Both of you look very tired looking after me. Why don't you go get some rest?" she suggested. "I'm certain I'm alright now."

Kristoff shook his head. "Nah, I'm good for a couple of hours more. Are you sure you're okay now? How are you feeling?"

"Well…" Elsa hesitated. "My head still hurts a little, but otherwise I'm fine." She frowned. "Has anything happened while I was…um, incapacitated?"

"I think Prince Lars and Max are interrogating the prisoner with Captain Schmidt—speaking of which, I haven't heard anything since then. It's been hours," Anna commented as she glanced at the mantel clock nearby.

"I'll go ask around what's happened," Kristoff offered. Anna nodded and smiled—he really was a sweetheart. She wanted to be alone with Elsa, but Kristoff had realized it first. "Take care, Elsa," he said over his shoulder, locking the door behind him.

"Who would want me dead?" Elsa wondered aloud after a minute.

Anna recalled last night's events, chewing on her lip. "I don't know," she said after a minute. "I mean, wasn't it convenient that Prince Lars was there at the right moment? Like, what if that was just a set-up to, I don't know, make himself look like the hero or something?" She shrugged.

Elsa gave her a sidelong look. "Do you think so?" she asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Yeah, well, I don't know for sure, I'm just thinking out loud," Anna retorted. "What do you think about that prince, anyway? He seems—no, he's definitely sketchy—and I saw you two last night at the balcony. What were you talking about?"

"He asked for forgiveness in behalf of the Southern Isles. Apparently, he was the reason why Hans…turned out the way he did. He admitted he pretended Hans didn't exist for a couple of years." Elsa frowned. "I'd say that's horrible, but then again, I did it myself," she muttered, hunching and rubbing her right arm with her left hand.

Anna started.

_"__Three of them pretended I was invisible—literally. For two years."_

_"__That's horrible."_

_"__It's what brothers do."_

_"__And sisters…"_

She shook off the memory with determination. "Ah. So he's one of THOSE brothers, isn't he?" she said instead, scowling.

"What do you mean?"

"Hans told me about that. After he tried to kill us, I thought he was lying. I also thought he was lying about having thirteen older brothers. Turned out the jerk wasn't. Doesn't mean he was justified, though." She emphasized her point by cracking her knuckles, which made Elsa giggle softly.

"But you know…" Elsa trailed off. "I have a gut feeling he's really sorry about what he did to Hans. You're right, though—we should keep a closer eye on him, if the Southern Isles is really sincere about making up for what Hans did."

Anna waited—she was getting better at reading Elsa, and when she bows her head a bit with a pensive look on her face, it meant Elsa was letting her thoughts wander. She was just glad her sister was letting her take a peek on what's going on in her head.

"Frankly, I'm scared for my life," Elsa continued. "But I'm more afraid for what would happen to Arendelle if the…attempt on me had succeeded." She paused, her forehead wrinkling in thought before she glanced at Anna. "I'm sorry if I haven't told you any of this, because I didn't think it would affect us, and I'd been preoccupied with a lot of things."

Elsa swallowed and cleared her throat. "Anyway, I've been hearing reports about Weselton's saber-rattling. It's been involved in skirmishes with Buckland for some years already—I think ten, I'm not sure—and it's growing bolder with Buckland's king passing away a couple of years ago. Looking back at what happened last year…what if Weselton wanted to get rid of me so it could take over Arendelle?" She raised her eyebrows, waiting for Anna's reaction.

Anna could only blink at her older sister_. _"But we don't have anything to do with the stuff going on between Buckland and Weselton," she said, dumbfounded over Elsa's theory.

"True, but Arendelle is the leading producer of ice and timber, along with a number of other natural resources which can be useful in war. And Weselton is…well, pissed over the trade embargo we have against them," Elsa reminded her.

Anna gulped, shaken over Elsa's thoughts. _Is this the stuff she deals with every day? I wouldn't have thought of that. No wonder Elsa's queen, not me. _"Okay, well, enough talk about that for now. You need to rest. Once you're back on your feet, let's discuss it more, alright?" She clenched her jaw to stave off a mighty yawn. Now that Elsa's safe, exhaustion threatened to knock her off her feet and all she wanted to do was to crawl beside her and sleep.

Elsa yawned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yeah. I…yeah. I could be wrong about what I told you," she said. She opened her mouth to say something more, but stopped.

"What?" Anna asked warily.

Elsa shook her head. "Never mind. Go to sleep, Anna."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Not until you tell me. What is it?" she prodded.

Elsa ran her hands through her hair sheepishly. "It's silly, but…do you mind sleeping here with me? I'd feel much better if you're here in case whoever attacked me comes back. I can keep you safe."

Anna smiled, relieved. Elsa's scared—for her life, for hers, for Arendelle—but at least she wasn't shutting her out anymore. Resolve hardened within her, that she will do whatever she can to help Elsa with her burdens as queen. She was the princess of Arendelle, the queen's right hand. But first—

"You don't have to ask me twice."

* * *

_Note: Finally updated. I am so sorry for the long wait. Got sidetracked by…stuff. Anyway, comments and constructive criticism would be highly appreciated. Check out my Tumblr, link in my profile, and go to the Fanart section to see the commission of Lars and Max I had made. Credit to __LadybugTamer for the idea that Elsa leaves behind traces of ice on surfaces that she had touched._


	13. Chapter 1 (Rewrite and Author's Note)

**_Note: _**_I'm deleting the entire thing next week to make way for a rewrite. I don't think there would be any major changes, just tweaks to Elsa's characterization and the plot, timeline, corrections, etc. Apologies for the inconvenience. In the meantime, take a look at what I have so far._

* * *

_July 16th, midnight_

_Conjuring a dress made of ice is the last thing I would have thought my powers could do, _Elsa mused, running a finger over the cool blue silk. The dress was draped over the chair of her vanity table, having changed out of it into a cotton nightgown to wear for sleep. She recalled the liberating moment—the dress sprang from her imagination fully-formed, as if she had designed it from the start, and felt her powers bending to her will with a wave of her hand.

But a huge yawn interrupted her reflections. _Time for bed, then, _she capitulated, undoing her braid then redoing it into a loose one. Lifting the winter she had accidentally caused and the resulting emotional turmoil in the past week, along with haphazardly establishing herself as the queen of Arendelle and deporting a certain duke and prince who both wanted her dead had left her tired to the bone. Elsa crawled under the covers with a sigh, relishing how it felt to sink into the warm comfort of her bed.

At least today ended on a high note. Her people were starting to accept her-their smiles and laughter when she turned the castle courtyard into a skating rink was been proof of that. The highlight of the day was teaching Anna how to skate—it was a promise she had made a long time ago, one she thought she would never have a chance to fulfill. Nevertheless, it had been a long day, perhaps the first of many more.

Elsa squeezed her eyes shut and tried to forget that she reminded Gerda to wake her up at half-past five in the morning tomorrow. After a moment, she lifted her head from her pillow to check the time.

Quarter to eleven in the evening. Good. Six and a half hours of sleep should do nicely. She guessed it would take her fifteen minutes to lose consciousness.

She was already starting to drift to sleep, curled up on her side facing the door of her room, when a soft knock brought her back to full consciousness. Elsa groaned and burrowed under covers. _Can't be time to get up yet, is it?_

"Elsa?" a muffled voice asked from behind the door. It was Anna.

She heard the door creak open when her younger sister let herself in. Soft footsteps followed and stopped by her bed. Elsa cracked an eye open and saw Anna standing by the side of the bed, sporting a sheepish grin.

"Do you know what time it is?" she grumbled, burrowing under the covers. Not that she was unhappy to see Anna, but there was a small mountain of paperwork waiting for her at her desk tomorrow and she needed to keep her wits about her. It wouldn't do to start her reign having signed a proclamation raising taxes or something—she had only gained her people's good graces very recently.

"Midnight. It's a new day!" Anna chirped. Elsa lifted the covers to see Anna still grinning at her, but noted how she wrung her hands. "But actually, um...do you mind if I sleep here? Just for tonight, I promise! I mean, it's been so long and I—"

"Sure. The bed is big enough," Elsa interrupted, pushing the blanket aside and moving over to make room. She felt a pinprick of guilt over her grumpiness earlier—she had just promised to herself that she will never, ever shut Anna out, and just now she came close to breaking it.

Elsa shook it off and frowned, remembering the last time she had allowed Anna to sleep beside her (she was seven, Anna was four). "You've outgrown kicking around in bed, right?" she asked, raising a wary eyebrow as she stifled a yawn.

"You'll just have to find out." Anna smirked and flopped on the bed, twisting on her side to face Elsa, who rolled her eyes affectionately and lay down once more. Now fully awake, she studied Anna's features, reminded once more of how much time she had lost out on. Her younger sister's face was starting to lose its childish roundness, making way for womanly cheekbones. Her scrutiny must have unnerved Anna, whose smirk shrank into a small, uncertain smile. "You know, I've missed this so much."

"Me too."

Anna pursed her lips in response. "So."

"Hmm?"

Anna shook her head after a beat of awkward silence with a sigh. "We need to practice this sister thing more often," she remarked, flopping on her back to stare at the canopy of Elsa's bed. "What I had in mind when I came here was talking non-stop until the sun rose. Now I can't think of a thing to say." She grimaced. "Sorry. I didn't mean to complain—"

"No," Elsa disagreed. "I understand. And I'm happy you're here." She winced inwardly at the maudlin statement then summoned the courage to squeeze Anna's hand from under the covers.


End file.
